Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet reported Wednesday that the Canucks are watching free agent goalkeeper Antti Raanta for a possible professional tryout arrangement.
In the goalie market, Vancouver has gained attention recently due to a report by Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK suggesting Thatcher Demko’s knee injury from the playoffs last season was not recovering as quickly as expected. Demko has at least resumed skating, according to Dhaliwal’s statement from yesterday, which is definitely encouraging news about his possible availability for opening night.
But until they find out for sure, the Canucks won’t be out of the woods, and they won’t have many options behind Demko in between the pipes. In place of the injured Demko and seasoned Casey DeSmith, they are anticipated to use 23-year-old Latvian Arturs Silovs as a full-time backup this season after he finished 5-5 in 10 postseason games. He has only played in nine NHL games, though. Jiří Patera, 25, who was signed earlier this summer to be their third-string goalie, has eight.
It should come as no surprise that the Canucks are looking into veteran possibilities to help bridge the experience gap, particularly during training camp when Demko is unlikely to receive a full clearance. The top player still available on the UFA market, Kevin Lankinen, has previously been connected to them, although it’s unclear if they’re thinking of giving him a guaranteed contract or a PTO.
Raanta, 35, is most likely a backup plan in the event that Lankinen doesn’t work out. The Finn, who was once a top tandem option, disappeared completely from the game last season after managing only a.872 SV% in 24 games against a formidable Hurricanes defense. After signing a one-year, $1.5MM contract to remain in Carolina last summer, he wound up on waivers in March, went unclaimed, and became a UFA this summer.
Because of his lengthy history of injuries, Raanta is likewise a high-risk addition. Despite his play often justifying it, he hasn’t made more than 30 appearances in a season since 2019–20, and in his 11-year career, he has only been healthy enough to start the majority of his team’s games once.
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