Insider suggests Vancouver Canucks' biggest rival should target goaltender Thatcher Demko

As the Vancouver Canucks consider their options, if the team decides to part ways with Thatcher Demko, one writer believes their biggest rival could be interested.

The last 10-plus months have been very difficult for Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko following two injuries to his knee, one of which he suffered during Game 1 of their first-round series against the Nashville Predators last season.

Demko's recovery didn't go as many had expected, which led the Vancouver Canucks to go out onto the free-agent market and sign Finnish netminder Kevin Lankinen to a one-year deal.

The 29-year-old would eventually make his season debut for the Canucks in early December and since then has appeared in 12 games, winning just three of those starts.

Recovering from a knee injury isn't easy and it's still going to take Thatcher Demko a bit of time to get back into his groove after missing training camp, preseason and the first two months of the 2024-25 campaign.

Just over a week ago, a report surfaced from former NHL head coach Doug MacLean saying that he heard Thatcher Demko doesn't want to play in Vancouver anymore and isn't too excited about playing right now.

Whether that report is true or not, it's certainly going to bring plenty more rumors to the Vancouver Canucks, which are already dealing with the outside noise when it comes to Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, both of whom could be entering their final weeks as members of the organization.

One writer at The Hockey Writers believes that Vancouver's biggest rival should make an attempt to try and land Thatcher Demko in a trade.

Writer believes Edmonton Oilers should target Thatcher Demko

The Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers have engaged in some pretty heated games on the ice in recent weeks, but could we see the two teams come together to complete a big trade?

Jesse Courville-Lynch of The Hockey Writers suggested on Monday that the Edmonton Oilers should target Thatcher Demko as they make a push for back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup Final.

"I would argue Skinner has been worlds better than Demko this season, but it doesn't take a genius to figure that out. However, having a tandem of Skinner-Demko heading into the postseason is very enticing, especially if the Canucks' asking price for a trade return isn't ridiculous. Demko has proven time and time again that he can be an elite goaltender, and if he can play even half as good as he did before the injury, he could help the Oilers in a big way," Courville-Lynch said.

He went on to share a trade proposal, which he added is probably a long shot, that would see the Canucks acquire Jeff Skinner, goaltending prospect Oliver Rodrigue and a 2025 second-round pick, with Edmonton needing to find a way to get Vancouver to retain a portion of Thatcher Demko's salary.

"If the Oilers traded Jeff Skinner, Olivier Rodrigue, and a 2025 second-round pick for Demko, they would just have to find a way to get a little money retained on Demko's deal, and J. Skinner would have to be willing to waive his trade protection for a fresh start. It's a long shot, but it's something they should consider if Demko's name gets out there as a trade piece," Courville-Lynch said.

Sure, Thatcher Demko hasn't played that well this season, likely because he's still getting back into the rhythm of things, but if Patrik Allvin were to receive that trade proposal from the Oilers, he would probably hang up the phone right away as they don't have the need for another middle-six winger and/or a goaltending prospect.

If the Vancouver Canucks were to look to trade Thatcher Demko, which doesn't seem likely anytime soon, they'll be patient and wait until he gets back to being a Vezina candidate so they can maximize the return and get a package that'll help in the short- and long-term future of the organization.