“Massive Reports” Top Talent Injury Could Cause Cap Complications For Canucks And Possible Trade Inclusion

If Thatcher Demko isn’t available to start the season with the Canucks, can they replace him in the lineup without going into LTIR?

Things were looking very promising for the Vancouver Canucks this offseason. They successfully navigated tough negotiations with their restricted free agents, managed to trade Ilya Mikheyev, made smart decisions with limited draft picks, and addressed important roster needs through free agency with reasonable contracts and interesting new players.

Although they traded Vasily Podkolzin to the Edmonton Oilers for a fourth-round pick, this was seen as a wise move, as they opted to cut their losses with a prospect who wasn’t progressing instead of waiting until he had no value. Podkolzin had his opportunity to prove himself last season but didn’t meet expectations.

The team was particularly optimistic about their salary cap situation. After years of starting the season in Long-Term Injury Reserve (LTIR), the Canucks finally had enough cap space to accommodate Tucker Poolman’s $ 2.5 million contract, allowing them to accrue cap space throughout the season and potentially have more flexibility in trade discussions.

However, a new challenge has emerged: Thatcher Demko may not be ready for training camp. Reports from Chek TV’s Rick Dhaliwal and The Athletic’s Thomas Drance indicate that Demko is uncertain for both training camp and the preseason, raising concerns about his readiness for the regular season opener on October 9 against the Calgary Flames. This raised eyebrows since there had been optimism in May about his possible return during the playoffs if the team had advanced further.

Demko suffered a knee injury in the second game of the playoffs against the Nashville Predators, just a few games after recovering from a prior knee issue, which is troubling given that this marks two consecutive seasons of significant injuries for him. A groin injury limited him to 32 games last season, with his return timeline extending longer than initially anticipated.

Ensuring Demko remains healthy is crucial for the Canucks if they hope to build on last season’s performance. If he is choosing a more cautious approach with his rehab this offseason, that’s likely wise. Demko described his return late last season as “aggressive,” expressing confidence and detailing the rigorous work he put in with the training staff to prepare for the playoffs. However, given his rapid re-injury, it raises questions about whether that approach was too intense.

Unlike the playoffs, where urgency is high, there is less pressure for Demko to return quickly for training camp or the start of the regular season. The primary goal should be his complete recovery to avoid further injuries.

This may also mean reducing his workload. Last season, Demko started 51 of the 68 games he was available for, a pace that would equate to 62 games over a full season. Only three goaltenders started 60 or more games last season: Juuse Saros, Alexander Georgiev, and Connor Hellebuyck, all of whom struggled in the playoffs with save percentages below .900.

Given this context, it’s reasonable for Demko to take his time returning and to ease into a lighter workload. However, this could complicate the Canucks’ carefully balanced salary cap situation.

Now, the question is whether they can add another goaltender without relying on LTIR. With Podkolzin traded, the Canucks have a clearer path to their 23-man roster, with the exception of Arturs Silovs, who remains waiver eligible.

The Canucks’ current 23-man roster leaves them with $2,965,833incapspace,whichissufficienttoaccommodateTuckerPoolman’s$ 2.5 million cap hit, allowing for $ 465,833 to start accruing.

However, if Demko is unavailable at the season’s start, it complicates matters. The Canucks would need to include either Nikita Tolopilo or Jiri Patera on the NHL roster or sign another goaltender.

As it stands, there isn’t enough cap space to fit Tolopilo or Patera— 465,833won′tcoverTolopilo’s465,833won′tcoverTolopilo’s 950,000 or Patera’s $ 775,000 cap hit. But if they place Mark Friedman on waivers and he clears, they could assign him to the AHL, freeing up the necessary cap space.

This scenario would leave the Canucks with a very inexperienced goaltending duo, with only 27 games of NHL experience between them. It makes sense that the team would be looking for a more experienced goaltender.

According to Dhaliwal, the Canucks are eyeing Kevin Lankinen, who is essentially the only logical free-agent goaltender available. The 29-year-old had a solid .908 save percentage while serving as a backup with the Nashville Predators last season.

Canucks continue to look for a goalie. It appears that Kevin Lankinen is their target. Lankinen had a very strong 2 seasons in Nashville and made $2 million last year. The Canucks salary cap situation will likely make this very difficult to pull off.

— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) August 22, 2024

The question remains: can the Canucks fit Lankinen under the salary cap without placing Poolman on LTIR?

The answer is potentially yes, but it depends on several factors.

Much hinges on the contract Lankinen could realistically secure at this point in free agency. AFP Analytics projected a two-year deal with an average annual value of $ 2.024 million before July 1, which is similar to his previous contract with the Predators.

However, with the free agency frenzy behind us, Lankinen might be more inclined to accept a lower offer, akin to the $975,000dealDanielSprongsignedwiththeCanucks,ratherthanthe$ 3-4 million he was expected to get.

On the flip side, Lankinen might take a chance that other teams, including the Canucks, may be in a tough spot due to injuries during training camp or preseason and would need to sign an accomplished free-agent goaltender.

So, how much cap space could the Canucks free up to potentially bring Lankinen on board? This mainly depends on how many players they’re willing to risk losing to waivers and their readiness to start the season with a shortened roster.

To begin the season, the Canucks could put Friedman, Noah Juulsen, and Phil Di Giuseppe on waivers, hoping none of them get claimed amidst the flurry of players being waived league-wide. This strategy would reduce the roster to 20 players—the minimum allowed to start the season.

Each of these players is on a league-minimum contract worth $775,000,allowingtheCanuckstoclear$ 2.325 million in cap space, which, combined with the $465,833theyalreadyhave,totalsaround$ 2.79 million in theoretical cap space to sign Lankinen.

Alternatively, they could waive just two of those players for slightly over $2millionincapspace,orjustoneforabout$ 1.24 million.

Reportedly, the Canucks have made an offer to Lankinen, and one could speculate that the proposed average annual value is around $ 1.24 million.

If, hypothetically, Lankinen signed for that amount, he would likely back up Demko upon his return, with waiver-exempt Silovs heading back to the Abbotsford Canucks. This theoretical cap hit would leave the Canucks with enough space to avoid placing Poolman on LTIR while maintaining a full 23-man roster.

The Canucks demonstrated last season that they’re willing to be flexible with their roster size to stay compliant with the cap. On opening night, they fielded just 11 forwards, and it turned out well—led by Brock Boeser’s four goals, they defeated the Edmonton Oilers and were able to call up Jack Studnicka from the AHL without a cap penalty due to emergency conditions.

However, if Lankinen isn’t willing to accept that cap hit, the Canucks may need to explore other options. Other goaltenders could become available during training camp and preseason, or they might consider trading for a backup goaltender, similar to how they acquired Casey DeSmith last season.

In short, while it’s a challenge, it’s a manageable one—though it would be much easier if Demko could be counted on to play on opening night.