3 reasons Thatcher Demko should still be a front-runner for the Vezina Trophy

Thatcher Demko hasn’t been the best goaltender if you’re looking at his career numbers. Until the 2023-24 season, the Vancouver Canucks top goaltender posted just a 2.90 GAA despite snagging a solid 0.910 save percentage and an above-average 0.549 quality starts percentage. 

You can argue that the Canucks haven’t been a great team or even a decent group over the past few seasons, and that hurt Demko. But he also didn’t step up in the same way an elite player should to give his team a chance when they were going through tough stretches. 

That changed in 2023-24 as Demko, along with the rest of the Canucks, have enjoyed their best season in recent memory. No, not everything has been going as smoothly lately, with a less-than-stellar February following the Elias Lindholm trade, while Demko’s injury also did them zero favors. But you can also attribute Demko’s presence as a major reason the Canucks remain one of the league’s best teams. 

Thatcher Demko should remain a front-runner for the Vezina Trophy

How good have Demko and the Canucks been throughout most of the 2023-24 season? With 34 wins, Demko is just seven away this year - if he manages to return in time and go on a roll - from winning over half as many games as he had in the previous six years that he’s been part of the Canucks. 

Here is an even wilder number: In four of his previous six seasons, Demko has started at least 25 games. And in those four years, he won 76 of them, putting him just four away from winning half as many games this year as he did in his first four “full seasons” with Vancouver. 

Just as you can claim the Canucks struggled in those previous few seasons, you can also believe much of Demko’s success came thanks to the Canucks being a better unit this year. While that is at least partially true, Demko has also played outstanding hockey, and the following reasons will show you that.