Welcome back to WDYTT, the only hockey column on the internet with more hot takes than TMZ.

Speaking of media rivals and rivalry in general, it’s an interesting and reflective time in the NHL right now. The loss of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew is an immense tragedy that many in the hockey community are still finding difficult to process.

There are perhaps some unique feelings and reactions here, among the faithful followers of the Vancouver Canucks. Gaudreau spent his best years playing for the Calgary Flames, one of the Canucks’ most bitter rivals.

And yet, in the wake of his unexpected passing, there was hardly a hint of any hard feelings to be found. The outpouring of grief, compassion, and respect from all corners of the hockey world has been overwhelming, and the Vancouver fanbase is no exception.

What has been made clear, above all else, is that no matter who Gaudreau played for, he earned the respect and appreciation of all.

Which leads us to our topic of discussion today. Look, we know that hockey is built on concepts like trash talk. Sure, we all like to rag on the Oilers and their contracts, or joke about the Kraken’s failure to launch, or mention that the Leafs still have a longer Cup drought going than the Canucks do.

But a tragedy like this reminds us that we’re all in this world together, and that there are bigger things than hockey at play – and certainly much, much bigger things than hockey rivalries.

With that in mind, we wanted to use today’s WDYTT to give you the opportunity to do something a little unusual – to say something nice about a rival player.

Life’s too short to hate, and it’s way too short to hate someone because they happen to play for a certain hockey team. (Although if you want to make an exception for Brad Marchand, we might allow it!)

So, just this once, we’re not asking you about the Canucks at all.

This week, we’re asking:

Let it be known in the comment section.

You answered below!

Mountain, meet mole hill… still time in the offseason. And right from day one, I said that I fully trust this management team to competently deal with any situation. That position has yet to change.

Demko MAY not be ready to start the season, but MAY be ready to go soon after the start. Problem is we do not know how close he ACTUALLY is. If it is that he is not ready to start the first five games, but is able to practice, Silovs could start all five…and likely finish all of them…and Demko could be well enough to back him up.

If he cannot back him up, there are two AHL goalies who could back Silovs up, since they would not likely play anyway. Yes that would run the risk of Silovs getting injured and going with a weak backup, but that would be a low risk and would give them NHL minutes to see where they are at.

If Demko is not close to being able to start, then we could grab someone off waivers to back up Silovs or make a trade after the preseason for a backup. Without better knowledge about Demko’s health it is hard to say what we should do, but I am confident that Silovs can be our starter until he is back.

I think this reflects well on management.

Before you light your hair on fire let me explain.

Clark moves from active coaching …management has Torenius to step in, who is very good.

Clark can now scout and provide expertise to find future goalies, which is opportune, because we need one short-term to back up Silovs (waiver wire) and long-term to transition from the oft-injured Demko.

Demko injury is disappointing, IF TRUE, but unsurprising given his history.

Demko’s persistent injury history is what is very concerning. Will he ever get past that, and become the dominant goalie they need to take them far in the playoffs? It’s certainly a valid question, because they aren’t winning a Cup, or getting anywhere close, with a 23-year-old Silovs as the full time starter. The whole Ian Clark situation just adds to the intrigue.

I feel unsettled. An obvious area of strength has become a question mark.

The lack of transparency is appalling. There are rumors that Demko has had two “procedures” on his knee, but absolutely nothing from the team. The season ticket holders deserve to know what is going on with possibly the most important player on the team.

I think at one point Clark expressed to management that he would like to step back into a lesser role, and Torenius was subsequently hired to be his successor. Clark never quit nor was he fired, so I assume his relationship with management is sound and management did a good job of accommodating his request. After years of extensive work and travelling with the team, Clark is probably ready to step back and spend more time with his family, enjoy his golden years, but also still have a job and be part of the team.

Demko’s delayed rehab is likely nothing more than a coincidence, and considering his injury history, this could have been a contentious talking point no matter when it happened. Management will probably give Silovs, Patera, and Tolopilo a chance to prove themselves in the preseason before committing money and term to another goalie. Demko’s progression and Silovs’ competence will be closely monitored. The front office will not allow subpar goaltending to compromise the Canucks season.

The issues of Demko’s health and Clarke’s reassignment have been handled extremely poorly by the management. These issues should be clarified as much as possible as soon as possible. They are looking as if they are hiding something from their public. Simple statements should be made that clear up the rumors. Very dissatisfied with the lack of communication and it’s looking like a disorganized bush league operation. No reason for this intrigue. I realize they have made statements, but their statements need more clarity and detail.

I don’t care about the headlines, but I am quite concerned about Demko’s health.

Demko’s non-stop injuries have me quite concerned about his future with the club. We’ve got him on a decent contract right now, but if he can’t play when we need him, that’s not much of a benefit to the team. After this season, extension talks will happen. Do we trade him? Signing him long-term with his injury history seems very risky. Glad I’m not the guy that has to make these decisions.

Starting with Clark, I think this is a non-issue. He stepped back for personal reasons, we don’t need personal details, so let it be.

With the on-ice talent, I’m concerned. Back in the Benning era, we saw a callup of junior goalie DiPietro because of a lack of depth – could we get there again? Most teams almost need a 1A and 1B goalie and at least an NHL-calibre backup in the AHL. With Demko’s history, I feel this team falls short in goalie depth and badly mismanaged Demko’s starts last year.

While Bettman’s NHL has shown an obvious disdain towards the fanbase and any desired transparency, I expect the gambling syndicates which have taken over almost all league sponsorships and advertising will be demanding more transparency regarding injuries, as it impacts their business.

Mana for the chronically fatalistic fanbase. Things were going too well and everyone just knew something would emerge to ignite the hand-wringing, finger-pointing, and calls for ownership’s head. Never a dull moment.

Probably much ado about nothing. Maybe a bit of a slow start while the injuries get worked out – and Clark was not going to be the Vancouver goalie whisperer forever.

Demko’s injury history is now hard to ignore. Even if to heal completely, one wonders if he will ever again be what he once was. Still good, but not quite in the category of great.

I am feeling unsettled about Demko’s status going forward, given his history and his apparent current health, because unless he plays the lion’s share of the games this season as a healthy goalie, the Canucks may not make the playoffs. In addition, the Canucks may not want to extend him next summer if he again sustains significant injuries this season.

Silovs is promising, but not sufficiently experienced and reliable to carry the team as # 1 for any length of time at this stage of his career. Tolopilo is still a prospect and Patera has little experience in the NHL. Neither would be able to carry a #2 NHL workload, in my estimation. I would prefer the Canucks stayed away from LTIR this season, but they may be forced to sign or trade for a legitimate NHL goalie to play with Silovs if Demko is injured for a significant portion of games at the start of the season.

My biggest concern is that the front office might sacrifice assets for a short-term fix. If the issue turns out to be long-term, then yes, assets will need to be moved, but to give up draft picks or the ability to accrue cap space just because of a fear of going with Silovs to start the season would be a mistake IMO.

I believe this team is at least one or two quality players short of being a contender, and to get those players the team needs to stop leaking assets.

I feel concerned about the headlines. Clark’s change is probably just normal course of events as time progresses. Demko’s repeated injuries were worrisome, even before the rumours of his delayed return. Silovs’ news was a bit shocking, frankly, and seemed to come out of nowhere – how is it we heard it first from Team Latvia, too? I have confidence this management team will handle it well. I hope both Demko and Silovs get well soon – for both themselves and the fans.

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