The Canucks are considering signing free-agent goalie Antti Raanta for a potential tryout.
Recent reports suggest that Vancouver has been active in the goalie market due to concerns over Thatcher Demko’s knee injury. Although Demko has started skating again, his recovery is slower than expected, raising doubts about his availability for the season opener.
Vancouver’s backup options are limited. They plan to use 23-year-old Arturs Silovs as the full-time backup after he stepped in during the playoffs last season, going 5-5 in 10 games. But with just nine NHL games under his belt, and Jiri Patera having only eight games of experience, they lack depth behind Demko .
Canucks’ Goalie Situation:
The team isn’t confident yet and is looking at veteran goalies to bridge the gap while Demko recovers. They’ve shown interest in Kevin Lankinen, one of the top remaining free agents, but it’s unclear if they’ll offer him a tryout or a guaranteed contract.
Raanta, who is 35 years old, seems like a fallback option if Lankinen doesn’t work out. He had a tough season last year with a .872 save percentage over 24 games for the Hurricanes and ended up on waivers in March. Despite his past performance issues and injury history—he hasn’t played more than 30 games in a season since 2019-20—he remains an option for Vancouver.
Fans might think this news shows how worried the team is about their goalie situation.
Raanta’s frequent injuries make him a risky choice; he’s only managed to be healthy enough to start most of his team’s games once in his career spanning over eleven years. This uncertainty adds another layer of complexity to Vancouver’s decision-making process regarding their goaltending lineup.
What do you think? Should they take the risk with Raanta or look elsewhere?
