The Vancouver Canucks have gone from goaltending being an organizational strength to it being their biggest question mark.
Starter Thatcher Demko spoke to the media today and described the unique injury he suffered last spring. He’s still recovering, and there is no timeline for his return.
As of now, the team is slated to start the season with Arturs Silovs and Jiri Patera in net. Together, they have played fewer than 30 combined regular-season and playoff games.
The question marks surrounding his crease haven’t fazed Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet.
When asked if he’s comfortable entering the season with the untested duo of Silovs and Patera in the crease, Tocchet didn’t hesitate.
“I’ll tell you right now, the way this team defends, the way we play the puck, I’m comfortable,” the coach replied.
“We have a certain way we want to play and hopefully take pressure off a goalie, whether it’s Demmer, Silovs, or whoever. I think that’s important.”
The Canucks have been one of the NHL’s best defensive teams under Tocchet’s reign. Last year, they finished tied for fifth across the entire league in goals-against, a massive improvement from the 25th place they had finished in the year prior.
Demko was a major reason for that defensive success, but Tocchet’s system, along with the help of assistant coach Adam Foote, helped several players step up their game in their own zone.
The Canucks allowed 2.77 goals-against in the playoffs last season when Demko played just a single game. That would’ve ranked eighth among all teams in the regular season, although playoff hockey is usually a tighter game.
While Tocchet may say he’s comfortable with the current duo, it’s no secret that the Canucks have been in negotiations with free agent Kevin Lankinen. He could provide some additional experience as he’s played over 100 NHL games.