There's been a massive turnaround in the DeSmith vs Silovs debate as the Canucks are reportedly still undecided on who will backup Thatcher Demko next season.
With the emergence of Arturs Silovs in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, many expected that the Canucks would have him as the backup to Thatcher Demko starting next season and allow Casey DeSmith's contract to expire, making him an unrestricted. Well, it appears things may have changed on that front.
On Thursday's edition of Donnie & Dhali, Rick Dhaliwal said that he believes the Canucks will look for a veteran to join the organization and thinks they may reconnect with Casey DeSmith and his agent at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
""There seems to be a change in philosophy this week on the goaltending situation from the #Canucks both in Vancouver and Abbotsford. I'm not sure if it's the Canucks are worried about Demko's rehab or not, he's coming off serious back-to-back injuries, or what he's going to look like at training camp. It seems like they are in the market for a veteran NHL goaltender and I will not be surprised if the Canucks reconnect with Casey DeSmith's agent at the NHL draft in Vegas. They haven't talked to him in a long time, but again, philosophy has changed." Dhaliwal said.
He added, "Will Silovs start in Abbotsford? The Canucks are not re-signing their goaltender down there - Zach Sawchenko in Abbotsford. So lots of things have changed with the Canucks goalie situation this week. I do think they're going to hook up with Casey DeSmith's agent and see if something's up, but I am being told the Canucks are in the market for an NHL veteran goaltender."
If Thatcher Demko isn't back to 100% by training camp and/or suffers a setback along the way in his recovery, starting the season with Arturs Silovs and Nikita Tolopilo isn't idea, despite the former's success in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year. Bringing in a veteran goaltender, whether it's getting Casey DeSmith to return, or someone else like Cam Talbot for example, who had success with the Kings in 2023-24, it would be a smart move for Patrik Allvin to consider.
