With Thatcher Demko’s availability uncertain for the start of 2024-25, the Vancouver Canucks’ goaltending depth has come into question. If he’s unable to start on Oct. 9 against the Calgary Flames, backup Arturs Silovs will once again take over and continue his run from the 2024 Playoffs when he started every game after Casey DeSmith got injured in Game 2 against the Nashville Predators.
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So, in the spirit of that, and the fact that this week has been dubbed “Goalie Week” by the NHL, let’s dive into the Canucks’ full goaltending depth chart going into the 2024-25 season.
Thatcher Demko (NHL)
There is legitimate concern for Demko’s health going into the 2024-25 season. He was supposed to be ready for the Western Conference Final if the Canucks would have won Game 7 against the Edmonton Oilers, but now he’s been reportedly ruled out for training camp and the preseason. It’s not even certain that he will be ready for opening night. Healthy, he is an elite goaltender capable of stealing games and providing rock-solid netminding night after night. Before he got injured against the Winnipeg Jets in March, he was neck and neck with Connor Hellebuyck for the Vezina Trophy, and even though he didn’t return until the final two games of the season, he still finished second to him in the voting.
It’s now being reported that Demko pushed himself too hard to come back in the regular season, and that’s why he’s still out now. As a result, the Canucks will be monitoring his starts this season to prevent this sort of thing from happening again. He will also have a new goaltending coach, with Ian Clark becoming a scout and development coach. Hopefully, he gets over his latest ailment and can continue his rise as one of the franchise’s best goalies, and not have to retire early or move on because of these injuries.
Arturs Silovs (NHL)
It’s been a crazy couple of years for Silovs as he’s gone from leading Latvia to their first medal at the World Championship to posting a shutout in a series-clinching game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Last season, he was supposed to be the starter for the Abbotsford Canucks in the Calder Cup Playoffs, not the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But by the end of it all, he didn’t start a single game in the AHL beyond April and finished his season in an Orca rather than a Johnny Canuck. His playoff resume now reads 10 games in the NHL with a 2.91 goals-against average (GAA), .898 save percentage (SV%) and one shutout versus only two games in the AHL with a 2.85 GAA and .914 SV%. I don’t think anyone could have predicted that at this time last year – not even the boldest prognosticators.
Now going into 2024-25, Silovs is set to be in the NHL full-time as the backup to Demko. He could even be the starter on opening night against the Flames, that is if he’s healthy himself after suffering a knee injury ahead of an Olympic qualification tournament. He only has nine games under his belt in the regular season, but those aforementioned 10 games in the playoffs are worth double that considering the pressure he was under every night. With the way he managed that pressure and remained calm through it all despite his inexperience, fans should not be worried about him potentially taking the reins as the leading man to start the season.
Nikita Tolopilo (AHL)
With Silovs in the NHL, it will likely be Nikita Tolopilo’s time to shine as the starter in Abbotsford. The 24-year-old Belarusian split the crease with him last season, putting together a solid 20-13-1 record alongside a 2.83 GAA and .905 SV%. He was signed out of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) last offseason as an undrafted free agent, and now is getting recognition as one of the top goaltending prospects in the league as Elite Prospects had him 12th in their recent top-15 goaltenders ranking (from ‘Ranking the NHL’s top 15 affiliated goalie prospects ahead of the 2024-25 season,’ EP Rinkside, 8/16/24).
At 6-foot-6, 229 pounds, Tolopilo has the size to be an NHL goaltender. He also has a lot of the elements Clark looks for in the position: speed, length, and athleticism. Marko Torenius, who was promoted to replace Clark as the Canucks’ goaltending coach, had good things to say about his development at the midway point of the AHL season saying, “You obviously like the size, but I like how he has been taking some steps and making adjustments…He started to be more clean with his footwork. He’s started to get his pace up. He’s started to be better in traffic situations. The overall progress has been good.”
Right now Demko and Silovs are ahead of Tolopilo on the depth chart, but with Demko’s injury history and Silovs being only on a two-year deal, he could find himself as the backup to one of them in the near future. He seems to have the tools to be in the NHL one day, maybe not as a de facto starter, but at the very least a solid option in a 1A/1B tandem.
Jiri Patera (AHL)
After DeSmith and Zach Sawchenko signed with the Dallas Stars and Columbus Blue Jackets respectively, the Canucks needed to fill a couple of holes in their depth chart. As of right now, Allvin has only filled one of them with the signing of Jiri Patera. Drafted 161st overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, the 25-year-old Czech native has a lot of AHL experience suiting up for 85 games over five seasons with the Henderson Silver Knights. He has also seen some time in the NHL, debuting in the 2022-23 season with an impressive two-game stint where he posted his first two wins alongside a 2.50 GAA and .929 SV%. Last season wasn’t so kind, though, as he appeared in six games and finished with an unsightly 3.98 GAA and .893 SV%. Overall, his record in the NHL is 3-3-1 coupled with a 37-40-6 mark in the AHL where he has a shutout and a 2.92 GAA and .907 SV%.
Interestingly enough, Silovs has only one more game of NHL regular-season experience, yet he’s the backup and Patera will likely play in tandem with Tolopilo in Abbotsford. The difference is that Silovs proved his worth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and Patera has yet to debut in that pressure-filled situation. It’s tough to say who will be the first call-up if Demko or Silovs succumb to injury; it could all come down to who is playing the best at the time. But considering Patera’s experience, he will probably be the first in line.
Ty Young (WHL)
With the trade of Mikey DiPietro in 2022 and the decision to relinquish their rights to Matthew Thiessen, the Canucks don’t have a lot of goaltenders beyond the AHL in their pipeline. In fact, they only have two, and one of them hasn’t been signed yet. We will start with Ty Young, who was their most recent draft pick in 2022 and recently signed his entry-level contract in September 2023. They haven’t selected a goaltender since then, opting to go with an even split of six forwards and six defencemen in 2023 and 2024.
🎥 SAVE OF THE NIGHT 🎥
— The WHL (@TheWHL) January 21, 2024
Ty Young puts his name in the hat for Save of the Year!@RealCdnSS | @PGCougars | #Canucks | #SaveoftheNight pic.twitter.com/AFceoKZ6qA
Drafted in the fifth round out of the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Prince George Cougars, Young has seen a steady progression in his development culminating in a solid third season in 2023-24 where he posted a 2.79 GAA and .903 SV% in 37 appearances. He helped lead the Cougars to the top of the Western Conference with a 23-11-0 record, but gave the net to 2025 draft hopeful Joshua Ravensbergen in the playoffs, who he split time with during the regular season. His last appearance came on May 1 against the Portland Winterhawks where he gave up five goals on 39 shots in a 5-2 loss.
Aku Koskenvuo (NCAA)
Sitting at the bottom of the depth chart – not for a lack of talent, mind you – is Aku Koskenvuo. The only reason he is there is because the Canucks have yet to sign him to an ELC due to him playing in the NCAA. After spending his draft-plus-one season in the U20 SM-sarja, he made his way to Harvard University where he only appeared in two games, posting a 3.56 GAA and .875 SV%. This past season was a different story, though, as he appeared in 17 games and finished with a 2.95 GAA, .910 SV% and two shutouts splitting even time with Derek Mullahy.
Despite icing 11 NHL draft picks, the Harvard Crimson were not a very good team last season. They finished with a 7-19-6 record, and Koskenvuo was in goal for six of their seven wins, including a memorable 38-save shutout against Princeton University on March 8. His numbers were also pretty decent considering he was playing for a bad team that gave him next to no run support, finishing with a minus-36 goal differential (70 goals for versus 106 goals against). It will be interesting to see how he does in his junior season, as he will likely get more starts with Mullahy moving on to Michigan Tech. He will be battling 20-year-old Ben Charette and 18-year-old Evan Zhang – both undrafted – for the starting job this season.
Canucks Need to Add More Depth Going Into 2024-25
As of this writing, the Canucks’ goaltending depth chart is only six deep. While Abbotsford re-signed Jonathan Lemieux to an AHL contract after his solid season with the Kalamazoo Wings, he has zero pro experience in any other league but the ECHL. He is technically the fifth goaltender behind Patera, but he cannot be called up to Vancouver unless they sign him to an NHL contract. So, the buck stops with Patera should the Canucks need anyone beyond a fourth goaltender. General manager Patrik Allvin and company are reportedly scouring the market for a veteran backup or third-string but nothing has happened on that front yet. The situation got more dire with Silovs’ reported knee inflammation, so I would expect at least one more goalie to enter this depth chart before the season begins on Oct. 9.
