The Vancouver Canucks have started their fire sale as the fun is just beginning for the franchise. In what has been a dumpster fire of a season between the lack of wins and mishandling of star players, and the firing of their head coach, they find themselves sixth in the Pacific Division.
The fire sale started with Bo Horvat being shipped out to the New York Islanders and is just the beginning of what should be a mass exodus of players by this trade deadline. Vancouver is in talks with teams regarding several of their players as general manager Patrik Allvin will look to cash in on prospects and draft picks to build this team’s future. With the March 3rd trade deadline a month away now, expect Allvin to continue to trade away players, including goaltender Thatcher Demko.
Here are three potential trade destinations for the Canucks number-one netminder:
Pittsburgh Penguins
There has been a lot of talk about the Penguins and general manager Ron Hextall having a serious interest in acquiring Demko. One of the main reasons leading to the interest is the fact they do not have Tristian Jarry signed past this season, leading to a potential swap between the two clubs. Jarry is from B.C and most likely would re-sign with the Canucks if the opportunity arose. For the Penguins, they would be replacing an oft-injured goalie with another oft-injured goalie.
Both goaltenders are 27 years old, and Jarry has appeared in 186 games, while Demko has appeared in 151. That would seem like an even trade between the two clubs as both goaltenders’ stats are similar, with Jarry’s slightly better thanks to being on better teams over the years.
Buffalo Sabres
The Sabers are making a push for a potential playoff run, but before they can do that, they must address their glaring weakness at goaltender. The trio of Craig Anderson, Eric Comrie, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen won’t be enough to push the Sabres over the edge. Due to this, the Sabres have been rumored to be interested in either Demko or John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks. Demko is the cheaper of the two options as the Sabres look to secure a legitimate long-term starter for their crease. The Canucks netminder is signed through the 2025-26 season at $5 million and does not hold any trade protection.
If the Sabres can acquire Demko, he would certainly boost their chances of making the playoffs once he gets back healthy. If Demko can get back to his Vezina-nominee form, this would be a major addition for a Buffalo team that is on the cusp of becoming a major player in the Eastern Conference and the NHL.
Ottawa Senators
The Senators are an exciting destination as they are currently out of the playoffs but will be looking to add to this team for the future as they are open to just about anything. Their current starter Cam Talbot is a pending unrestricted free agent, and acquiring Demko could be a way for the Sens to secure a long-term starter in net.
This deal would allow the Canuck to save some money while still having decent depth in their crease. Even though it is an uphill battle for Ottawa, they still hope they may make the playoffs this season. If they can acquire Demko and he plays as he did last season the Senators have a chance for a storybook ending.
