The Vancouver Canucks roll into this season carrying both excitement and a fair amount of weight on their shoulders. Last year gave fans plenty of hope with stretches of strong play, a sense that things were finally moving in the right direction, but when it mattered most, they still came up short.
The front office spent the summer trying to patch holes and steady the roster, convinced that this group, built around its core stars with a few key additions, has what it takes to climb the Western Conference ladder.
Can the Canucks Turn Promise Into Playoff Success This Season?
One of the biggest offseason calls came in net. Thatcher Demko signed a three-year, $25.5 million extension, a deal that makes it clear where Vancouver’s faith lies. Last season, the team finished just 22nd in goals saved above expected, a stat that hammered home how shaky things were behind the defense.
With Demko healthy again and Kevin Lankinen brought in on a five-year deal, management believes they finally have a tandem that can actually hold up over the long grind of the season.
Patrik Allvin, the Canucks’ general manager, called Demko a “key leader,” not just for his play but for his presence in the room. To the organization, the $8.5 million per year is more than cap math, it’s a sign to the players and fans that this is the guy they’re riding with.
Last season was a frustrating one for Demko. At times, he was right there among the league’s best, putting up 32 quality starts and earning Vezina-level chatter. At other times, injuries pulled him out of the lineup and left Vancouver scrambling. The team leaned on backup options, and the inconsistency showed in the standings.
Demko, though, insists he’s in the right place now. In a note to fans on social media, he said his “desire to be a Canuck has never been stronger,” a statement that felt like it came straight from the heart, not just a PR line.
By signing the extension, Demko joins the top tier of goaltenders in terms of salary, sitting just behind names like Igor Shesterkin and Andrei Vasilevskiy.
The price tag raised some eyebrows, mostly because of his recent injury history, but the shorter three-year term gives Vancouver flexibility. If he stays healthy and plays to his ceiling, this deal could look like a bargain before it’s done.
A Season That Could Define the Core
It wasn’t that long ago that people wondered if Demko himself might be on the trade block, with rumors swirling around a possible Jacob Markstrom reunion. Instead, the Canucks doubled down, locking in Demko as the centerpiece of their crease and surrounding him with the depth he lacked last season.
Whether that gamble works is still the great unknown. If Demko stays healthy and delivers the way he did two years ago, the Canucks could shift from being a middle-of-the-pack group to a real playoff threat. If the injury bug returns, the deal becomes a problem fast.
One way or another, this year feels like a tipping point for Vancouver.