On Wednesday, news broke that the Boston Bruins had claimed goaltender Jiri Patera off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks. That waiver claim certainly throws a wrench in the Canucks’ plans for this season.

The Canucks signed Patera to a two-year, two-way contract early in free agency. Internally, the Canucks believed that Patera was young enough at 25 and had the raw tools to potentially develop into a quality NHL backup.

Once the club got a better handle on just how complicated Thatcher Demko’s injury was in August, though, it became clear that they may need to add a more proven NHL netminder to their stable if Arturs Silovs was suddenly expected to be their NHL starter. That’s when the Canucks re-engaged with Kevin Lankinen, who they eventually signed on the third day of training camp.

The plan for each goaltender in the organization was clear.

NHL: Thatcher Demko, Kevin Lankinen, and Arturs Silovs
AHL: Jiri Patera, Nikita Tolopilo
ECHL: Ty Young, Jonathan Lemieux

With Patera gone, however, the Canucks may not want to simply promote a green and unproven goaltender in Ty Young to the AHL. The jump from junior to the AHL is a big one, and Young’s numbers with the Prince George Cougars last season don’t scream “ready to start in the AHL,” per se. The plan appeared to be to have Young in the ECHL to start the season to get his feet wet at the pro level.

Manny Malhotra is gearing up for his first season as the Abbotsford Canucks’ head coach. Is the organization really going to give him two relatively young goaltenders in Tolopilo and Young as his tandem in a league where starts basically have to be split 50-50 due to the nature of the schedule? It’s not likely, especially in Malhotra’s first season in the role.

As a result, the Canucks find themselves at a fork in the road as the season approaches. Assuming Thatcher Demko won’t be healthy to start the season and Arturs Silovs and Kevin Lankinen’s services are needed in the NHL, the Canucks have two real options.

They can choose to give Young — who goaltending coach Marko Torenius is apparently high on — the shot in the AHL alongisde Tolopilo, who was solid in his first AHL season a year ago.

Or they can do what seems more likely at this juncture, and go out and add an AHL goaltender. Dylan Ferguson, who the Canucks brought into camp on a PTO, just signed with the Iowa Wild, and the pool of available goaltenders seems to be shrinking. 34-year-old Michael Hutchinson was just released from his PTO with the Devils this week — perhaps he’s a candidate to sign an AHL deal?

Whoever it ends up being, it seems like the Canucks would be wise to get first-year head coach Manny Malhotra some reinforcements before the Abbotsford Canucks’ season kicks off on October 11th.