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Bold Prediction: Canucks deal Thatcher Demko at the 2027 NHL trade deadline

Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko (35) during a stop in play against the Winnipeg Jets in the first period at Rogers Arena.

Photo credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

By Jordan Frew

Sep 2, 2026, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 2, 2026, 01:51 EDT

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Everyone knows Thatcher Demko can be an elite goalie when fully healthy. And with the tides hopefully turning in his favour with a healthy season ahead, we could see Demko make steps towards a return to his former self.

A valuable asset to any team when in top form, our bold prediction is that Demko will be traded in the 2026-27 season by the March 1 trade deadline.

In the past couple of seasons, the netminder has been sidelined with injuries that have prevented him from playing to his best form. He last played at that calibre for the Vancouver Canucks in 2023-24, and even then he was injured in March and then again in that playoff run.

Demko has played for the Canucks across the past nine seasons, making his debut and playing his only game late in the 2017-18 season. This season aside, Demko has played 261 games over the past eight seasons. That’s good for an average of 33 games per season, not a number you would expect from your starter. Throughout his career, he has posted a .909 save percentage and a 2.81 goals against average. He played a career-high 64 games in the 2021-22 season, posting a .915 SV% and a 2.72 GAA, showing he is capable of playing the starting role and doing it well.

He has consistently struggled through lower-body injuries and was most recently shut down this past January after undergoing hip surgery. The 30-year-old has said he’s optimistic that this surgery has fixed his lingering issues, allowing him to focus on returning to his Vezina-nominee form.

Despite Demko and the Canucks hoping his injuries are resolved, there is still lingering concern that the netminder will not be ready for the start of the 2026-27 season. He spent the summer in Vancouver rehabilitating with Canucks staff and has shown promise as he has been on the ice skating. However, no one has flat-out said Demko will be ready to go on September 29, when the Canucks’ season starts.

Whether he starts the season fully healthy or not, Demko has a new contract kicking in this season. It carries an $8.5 million AAV across a three-year term. This could pose a steep contract for the Canucks given Demko’s past injuries. Still, if he can play to his best abilities, the contract would be worth it, especially with the salary cap rising significantly in future years. Also worth noting, Demko has a no-movement clause across the entire contract, giving him full control over whether he is even traded.

The expectation for Demko this season is that he has an injury-free year and is utilized as the Canucks’ starting netminder. Given how Demko can play, a concern with him being the Canucks’ starter is that he may steal games in a year when they would be better off at the bottom of the standings.

Essentially, the Canucks don’t currently need a netminder who can impact the game like a healthy Demko, and they won’t for a couple of years.

So where does that leave the Canucks? Trading Demko.

While trading him may seem like a big jump, the pros to trading Demko by the 2027 trade deadline outweigh the pros to keeping him.

The main pro to keeping him is his on-ice abilities, which, if playing well, will increase his trade value. It may also see Canucks take points they would rather not. If he were traded on the day of the trade deadline, Demko would have been with the team for just over 75% of the season, leaving them with 18 games left to play and 36 points up for the taking. But, as previously mentioned, no trade will happen without Demko’s approval as he has a full NMC in his contract.

If Demko were to be the Canucks starting goaltender for the first 75% of this season, he would ideally get his legs back, playing towards the best version of himself throughout the season, and by the trade deadline be in a form good enough for a playoff-contending team to want to add him to their roster. Especially knowing they get two more years with him and after a healthy season will continue to watch him reach his peak. The rising salary cap will also give teams more than enough room to take on his contract in future years.

Already at the start of the season, there are a couple of teams that could find themselves in a fight to make the 2027 Stanley Cup Playoffs that may need a goalie. The New Jersey Devils, who missed the playoffs by 12 points last season, just traded starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom and will be relying on a tandem of Nico Daws and veteran Jake Allen. The reigning champs, the Carolina Hurricanes, just lost Fredrik Andersen, although Brandon Bussi showed he can do his part in winning the Stanley Cup. Or perhaps the Winnipeg Jets can’t recoup a goaltender in return for Connor Hellebuyck, want to stay competitive, and turn their focus on a high-risk, high-reward netminder in Demko.

Moving to a contending team would also benefit Demko, as it is hard to see the Canucks make the playoffs throughout this contract. By the time the 2027 Stanley Cup Playoffs roll around, Demko will be 31 years old. While nowhere near old, considering the number of injuries he has suffered, he might want to chase the Stanley Cup where the opportunity presents itself.

Now, Demko has expressed that his desire is to stay in Vancouver. However, players can say that all they want. But at the end of the day, athletes are competitive people. Consistent losing will eventually get to some of these guys. And for Demko, after being on just two playoff runs throughout his NHL career, if an opportunity arises to go chase winning, he may elect to take it if a team chooses to believe he can stay healthy.

It’s clear the Canucks do not need a goalie of Demko’s calibre for the next couple of seasons, and have shown they are future-oriented. Finding the American a new team would give the Canucks picks and/or prospects that would be impactful when they do become competitive again.

Also, the Canucks have some goaltenders in their system who would benefit from NHL action to determine whether they have the potential to fit in down the line. Last season, Nikita Tolopilo received time in the crease and could benefit from a further look under new coaching to see what they have between a tandem of him and Kevin Lankinen. Aleksei Medvedev is the Canucks ‘ highest-ranked goaltender prospect and is looking to bounce back after a difficult draft-plus-one season in the OHL. And in last year’s draft, the Canucks took Dmitri Ivchenko, another youthful goaltending prospect who will spend the season in Russia.

That leaves two goalies who have played for the Canucks’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, who could see NHL playing time in a pinch after a Demko trade: Ty Young and Aku Koskenvuo. Young would likely be called up before Koskenvuo, and letting him or both receive time in the NHL would allow them the opportunity to develop and grow at the highest level, and possibly open up a spot in the AHL for another Canucks prospect to climb the ladder.

Finally, one of the biggest upsides to trading Demko would be no longer having to worry about carrying an injury-prone player. Of course, injuries can happen to anyone, but Demko has been particularly unlucky.

At the end of the day, it will be up to Demko whether he stays or goes. However, if he can help rebuild his injury-prone reputation from around the league this season, and bounce back to his Vezina runner-up form from just a few seasons ago, and a competitve team comes calling, that could be an intriguing option for both the player and Canucks at this year’s upcoming trade deadline.

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