Welcome back to the next instalment of our NHL Draft lookbacks here at CanucksArmy. So far this offseason, we’ve looked at Brock Boeser (10 years later), Quinn Hughes (7 years later), Nils Höglander (6 years later) and Elias Pettersson (8 years later), and are more than open to suggestions of who else we should tackle!

Next up is Thatcher Demko, who the Canucks selected with their third pick (36th overall in the second round) in the 2014 NHL Draft in Philadelphia.

CROWDED CREASE

Thatcher Demko was one of 21 goalies selected in the 2014 Draft and was the second one selected, two picks after Calgary began that year’s run of netminders nabbing Mason McDonald, who never played an NHL game. Carolina selected Alex Nedeljkovic with the pick after Demko, while Washington took Vitek Vanecek three spots after the Canucks drafted Demko. The Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Islanders both landed future starters in the third round of the 2017 Draft when they opted for Elvis Merzlikins and Ilya Sorokin. But the big winner of the 2014 Draft when it came to goalies has been the New York Rangers, using a fourth-round pick (118th overall) to land Igor Shesterkin.

A 2014 DRAFT REFRESHER

With back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals involving Florida and Edmonton, we have been reminded repeatedly that the top of the 2014 Draft class has turned into a special group. Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart, Leon Draisaitl and Sam Bennett were the first four picks made that year. It’s a first round that also launched William Nylander, Nikolaj Ehlers, Kevin Fiala, Dylan Larkin, Alex Tuch, David Pastrnak and Adrian Kempe. In Vancouver, however, it will always be remembered as the year the Canucks whiffed on Jake Virtanen sixth overall and, to a lesser extent, Jared McCann with the 24th selection when Pastrnak went 25th to Boston.

LATER ROUND SUCCESS STORIES

While the top of the 2014 Draft has yielded plenty of prime time players and some of the biggest names currently in the game, several later round picks paid off handsomely. Tampa Bay found Brayden Point in the third round. He is behind only Draisaitl and Pastrnak in point production from that draft. The Islanders nabbed Devon Toews in the fourth round that year, while the Canucks made a terrific fifth-round selection in Gustav Forsling. It’s just too bad his two Stanley Cups came elsewhere.

Other longshots from 2014 that have become NHL regulars: Viktor Arvidsson (fourth round Nashville), Danton Heinen (fourth round Boston), Kevin Labanc (sixth round San Jose) and Jake Middleton who was the final player selected that year 210th overall in the seventh round by Los Angeles. And no 2014 draft review worth its salt would miss the opportunity to mention the Canucks took Nikita Tryamkin in the third round, 66th overall.

HOW DOES DEMKO STACK UP?

It’s always difficult to size up goaltenders against positional players when revisiting a draft class. Skaters can be ranked in terms of point production, but it’s hard to know where exactly to slot in goalies versus the guys that play in front of them. Really, goalies have to be graded twice when reviewing their draft year. They are measured against skaters, sure. But they also have to be graded against their peer group.

In any redraft of 2014, Thatcher Demko would surely go higher now than his original 36th overall selection. Based on his career body of work, it’s almost certain the San Diego native would rise into the bottom third of the first round. He very well may still be the second goalie to go in a 2014 redraft, only this time he’d be behind Igor Shesterkin. It’s also quite possible he’d fall to third with teams opting for Ilya Sorokin. Regardless, all these years later, Demko has emerged as a clear top-three goalie from his draft class, and it’s safe to say he’s been one of the best 30 players selected that year.

CONCLUSION

Landing a Vezina-calibre goalie with a second-round pick, the Canucks hit the jackpot selecting Thatcher Demko where they did in 2014. He has easily developed into the team’s most valuable selection from that draft. Obviously, Gustav Forsling has gone on to win multiple Stanley Cups and has had far more individual success than Demko. But he did it with his fourth NHL franchise. Jared McCann has had a solid NHL career, too, but only 69 of his 668 games came in Canuck colours. No one else selected by the Canucks that year has delivered more value to the team itself.

Based on his draft year, Demko is the longest-tenured Canuck player these days and has developed into a leader in the locker room. Injuries have limited his workload in recent seasons and have played a role in his limited exposure to playoff action. The team has had many missteps on and off the ice over the past 11 seasons, but selecting Demko where they did in the 2014 Draft represents a significant win for the hockey club.

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