The Vancouver Canucks have officially locked up a big part of their core. With his current deal expiring at the end of the 2025–26, the Canucks agreed to a three-year, $8.5M AAV contract extension with goaltender Thatcher Demko. This move comes only a couple of months after the team signed newcomer Kevin Lankinen to a long-term, five-year deal. With both Demko and Lankinen in their ranks, Vancouver’s goaltending comes out to under $15M per year.
Demko was drafted 36th overall by the Canucks in 2014. Often referred to as the “goaltender of the future” in Canucks land throughout his time as a prospect, Demko spent nearly two full seasons with Vancouver’s AHL affiliate at the time, the Utica Comets, before making his NHL debut on March 31, 2018. He spent a little more time with the Comets before starting his first full NHL season as a backup to Jacob Markström in 2019–20.
The Bubble Playoffs were where Demko made himself known as a force to be reckoned with. After posting a pre-COVID-19 regular season record of 13–10–2, Demko was called to action during the second round of the 2020 Bubble Playoffs. An injury to Markström pushed Demko into the spotlight, where he backstopped his team to a Game 7 effort with a .985 SV%.
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Since 2021, Demko has taken the role of starting goaltender for the Canucks, save for the 2024–25 season in which he dealt with injuries. He has been named to two NHL All-Star Games (2022 and 2024) and finished second in Vezina Trophy voting in 2023–24 after winning 35 of his 51 starts and posting five shutouts.
With Demko now extended, the Canucks’ goaltending department looks to be getting more and more crowded. This also comes as a result of Artūrs Šilovs’ phenomenal play during the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs, in which the prospect won 16 of the team's 24 games and registered five shutouts. Only time will tell what the Canucks decide to do with their three great goaltenders.
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