NHL Rumors: The Vancouver Canucks Looking at the Goaltender Market

The Vancouver Canucks are dealing with some goaltending health issues as we head towards the start of training. They are monitoring the goaltender market and could be looking to bring someone in on a PTO.

Sportsnet 650: Iain MacIntyre on the Vancouver Canucks goaltending situation. They may be looking to bring someone in on a PTO over a contract. Antti Raanta is one potential option that could be considered.

** NHLRumors.com transcription

Dan Riccio: “But I did want to ask you about your, your follow-up on Rick Dhaliwal’s report here that you just tweeted out @iMacSportsnet commenting on Demko as he gets to skating. No preseason deadlines here for Demko to get back into full action, but also that the Canucks may be sniffing around Annti Raanta as a potential PTO candidate?”

MacIntyre: “Yeah, yeah. I mean, they’ve kicked the tires on Raanta. As, and I think they’ve probably kicked the tires on, on a bunch of guys that whose names haven’t surfaced. You know, Raanta makes some, I guess, linear sense, if, if, if you think about his stop in Arizona with Rick Tocchet as well.

But I also want to make the point, because I heard what you said Dan, just before the break, where you were talking about this last season being as poorest, which it certainly was. But you have to remember, in the context of what we’re discussing now, and what is, I’m sure going to continue to be discussed in this market about goaltending health is, the Canucks are not looking for a guy to be in the top two this year.

They’re looking strictly for depth. For some insurance. PTO is the least costly form of insurance because you get another body for training camp. You get another person to take some workload during the preseason games, if you need somebody to take some workload. And, and if it, if you’re bringing in somebody on a PTO, you’re going to give them show them enough respect to give them a chance to earn a contract. But that’s what that’s what they’re looking for.

If they do sign somebody to an actual contract, it’s not going to be to come in and replace Arturs Silvos, or replace for an extended period Thatcher Demko.

The, the organization’s plan, and they’re very confident in this, is however long it takes for for Demko to be ready. And he may be ready for the season over, maybe he won’t be. Who knows, maybe he plays in the preseason. You know, the fact he’s on the ice now six weeks ahead of the start of the regular season is a very good sign.

But regardless of what his timeline is, nobody envisions it going deep into the regular season where they’re going to need to bring in another established goalie.

And, and one thing to remember as well, the advantage of the PTO is it gives them a lot of flexibility. The team does not want to have to take on another contract that, that it’s got to manage under the salary cap. And I know they have lots of, lots of players who can play in Abbotsford, and you, you can bury the full weight of their contract. It’s not going to cost them.

But they, they have not had any semblance of cap flexibility in years, and if possible, they want to stay out of LTIR to start the season. Now, maybe that’s wishful thinking. We’ll see how it goes, but that’s their that’s their objective, to give themselves some flexibility going into the season.”