Demko’s development a real dilemma
TOP PROSPECTS: Canucks want blue-chip goalie to play plenty of games, but will it include time in the NHL?
In the midst of a rebuild, the lifeblood of the Vancouver Canucks is their prospects. This series checks out the top 10 prospects in the team’s system who have yet to get a shot to be NHL regulars.
At No. 3 is Thatcher Demko
Age: 22
Birthdate: Dec. 8, 1995
Position: Goalie
Hometown: San Diego, Calif.
Height: 6-4
Weight: 192 pounds
Drafted: Round 2, No. 36 overall 2014 NHL Entry Draft
Statistics: 25-13-7 in 46 games for the AHL’s Utica Comets with a .922 save percentage
When it comes to Thatcher Demko’s next step, there are two key questions.
The first is obvious and ubiquitous: When will he be ready for an opportunity to play in the NHL?
But there is a companion query: When he does arrive and how is he going to play enough games?
“I want my guys to play,” said Dan Cloutier, the Vancouver Canucks’ goaltending coach. “Thatcher was top five this year in (the American Hockey League with 46 games played) and (Micheal) DiPietro played 56 games (in the Ontario Hockey League).
“It’s because every game you can learn something. I think every time you step on the ice to play, it’s a valuable experience. You can go through situations in (AHL) games that will help you be ready when the same things happen on the big stage.”
Many are hoping the 22-year-old can compete and earn a spot this fall with the Canucks, fitting in as Jacob Markstrom’s backup.
In his first two seasons with the Canucks, Cory Schneider played in 25 and 33 games. That was on a team trying to win a ring and he was taking playing minutes away from one of the game’s greats in Roberto Luongo.
So if he’s ready and earns it, Demko could get similar playing time on a Travis Green team. But would it be enough?
Younger goalies are being worked into the NHL earlier in development and some have been shuttled between NHL teams and their AHL affiliates, ensuring there’s enough playing time when the No. 1 goalies go on a run.
It’s not impossible to do here, but because of the distance between Vancouver and Utica it’s certainly more challenging.
It’s among the top reasons why an AHL team located closer to Vancouver, or even in the city, could make sense in the future.
“I do think that’s a huge bonus for goaltenders,” Cloutier said. “If you have a team in your backyard, you cannot only call a player up for a game, but you can get more practice time.
“I think it’s very, very valuable for the goalie position. It would be a huge help for sure.”
In preparation for this fall’s training camp, Demko felt it was important to get into an NHL game late in the year, a 24-hour tour de force during which he won a game and handled the media perfectly.
When he is ready to start having an impact with the Canucks, Vancouver will want to make sure he’s mentally ready to handle a huge hockey market in which there’s historically been a lot of attention and focus on the goalies.
“Personally I do think he’ll handle it well, but he hasn’t been put through that situation yet,” Cloutier said. “You’ve seen it with goalies coming through in the past. Some nights it’s hard. I’ve been through it and I’m a fiery guy. It was hard at times.
“But it is part of the position. It is part of playing in a hockey market. You have to find a way to control
your emotions and be prepared for that. You never know until you’re put in it. But I do think (Demko) is a smart young man who understands it.
“He is a very positive guy. Guys around him like him. And he’s very easy to talk to and very mature for his age.”
Demko has shown steady improvement since arriving as a pro in the Canucks system in the fall of 2016. His best work may have been in the playoffs when he led the Comets in a five-game series against the best team in the AHL, the Toronto Marlies, with a .927 save percentage.
“He had a great run in the playoffs,” Cloutier said. “He’s right on track where we want him to be. Maybe even exceeded some of our expectations.
“Did I expect him to be good? Yeah, I did. But he’s taken an extra
step. I’m extremely excited about his future.”
Cloutier couldn’t say when he thinks Demko will be ready for the big leagues. Some believe the Canucks want him to spend one more year in the AHL.
“I think every step, he’s handled it well,” Cloutier said. “There’s been dips. But there’s been dips with everyone.
“What I like to see is that whenever he has a dip, it doesn’t last for a week. It lasts for one or two games and then you’re back on track. He’s improved on all the little areas we needed him to work on.
“And that’s the great thing about Thatcher. You tell him to work on something, he is going to do it.”
It’s just a matter of time before he’s doing it with the Canucks.