Are the Benefits Too Great to Neglect? Canucks’ Goalie Strategies Made Difficult by Šilovs’ Ascent

Having too many goaltenders of NHL caliber is a good problem for the Vancouver Canucks. You can’t equate “good” with “easy.” There are significant concerns regarding the team’s future in goal following Artūrs Šilovs’ impressive performance in the American Hockey League playoffs with the Abbotsford Canucks — a record of 10-3, a goals-against average of 1.61, a save percentage of.941, and five shutouts.
Šilovs has successfully subdued the Canucks. More than just a depth option, he has appeared. However, with Kevin Lankinen’s long-term deal and Thatcher Demko’s pursuit of an extension, the crease is already at capacity.

Do you dare send Šilovs back to Abbotsford by placing him on waivers? That is the essential question. What the Canucks are considering, and why the answer might not be so cut and dry, is this.

The Šilovs Waiver Dilemma: Pros and Cons

Mike Halford and Jason Brough talk about whether Silovs’ great play in the AHL playoffs makes it harder for the NHL club to find a goalie for next season. Putting Ilovs on waivers would mean giving every team access to a young, high-upside goalie. If he clears, great—you keep your depth intact. But if he doesn’t, you lose him for nothing. Halford led the conversation and listed the pros and cons of putting Ilovs on waivers.

Why Šilovs Is Forcing the Canucks Hand

Ilovs’ play has carried the Abbotsford Canucks through the playoffs even though they haven’t scored many goals.

The Canucks have a headache they didn’t expect to have so soon because of how calm he is in big games and how steady he is to play.

What’s more, it’s not clear that he needs another year in the AHL. Even though he’s only 23, and goalies usually take longer to grow, Ilovs may be closer to being ready for the NHL than people thought.
Not only could someone claim him, but the Canucks could also get their schedule wrong.

What Are the Canucks Options at This Point?

It’s not often that the Canucks have so many options when it comes to goaltenders, but Ilovs’s rise has made things even more difficult. There are a few ways to move forward, but all of them come with real risks and are anything but clean. It’s possible to waive Ilovs and hope he clears. It could be the easiest way to get what you want, but it also comes with a lot of risk.
The Canucks might take a chance on Ilovs if they think that most NHL teams aren’t ready to carry a young goalie as a full-time backup. But Vancouver would be throwing away a valuable player if another team that is ready to wait claimed him.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – MAY 03: Arturs Silovs #31 of the Vancouver Canucks makes a save against the Nashville Predators during the second period in Game Six of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena on May 03, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

Second, the Canucks could move Ilovs right now while he’s still worth a lot. He’s young, cheap, and just came off a great playoff run. He’s a good fit for a lot of teams, especially those that need more goalies. If Vancouver doesn’t see a long-term spot for him behind Demko and Lankinen, selling him now might be the best way to handle his money. If you trade Lankinen instead, you’d be taking a bigger risk by counting on Ilovs to be Demko’s backup next season.
It shows that Šilovs is ready, but it also comes with a real risk, especially since Demko has been hurt a lot lately. The team could lose a lot of talent in net quickly if he makes mistakes early on or needs more time to improve.

Fourth, the most extreme move would be to sell Demko in a huge deal and fully accept Ilovs as the future. It’s not likely that this will happen because Demko wants to extend his contract and is still a top-tier player, but it’s possible that the front office wants to get ahead of his next deal because they think Ilovs is closer to being “the guy” than anyone thought. Fifth and final, the Canucks could keep all three goalies through training camp, which would put off the choice. The preseason might make things clearer.

One player could play himself into or out of a job. But this is only a short-term fix. There are still waivers to be claimed, and the team will have to pick which two goalies to keep for the regular season.

So, What’s the Real Risk to Vancouver?

If you wave your ilovs, you might not be in real danger. It could be that he is wrong about how high his ceiling is. If the Canucks don’t give him enough credit, they might lose a real NHL player in the making. If they think too highly of him, they might commit too soon, which could hurt their depth or stop his growth.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – MAY 10: Arturs Silovs #31 of the Vancouver Canucks tends goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period in Game Two of the Second Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Arena on May 10, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Photo by Derek Cain/Getty Images)

This’s not just for this season. It has to do with where the team’s goalies will play for the next five years. It’s not often that a team has too much talent in net, but the Canucks may learn that dealing with too much skill is harder than dealing with too little.

What Should the Canucks Do?

The Canucks should do something, but what they do will rely on how aggressive the leadership group wants to be. A traditional front office could give up hope and ilovs. Someone brave could use this traffic jam as a chance to make a trade. The team’s hand is being forced in either direction, and Ilovs’ rise has either pushed or pulled it to that point.

For the fans, this should all be over before the 2025–26 regular season starts, no matter what happens. Fans of the Canucks will have a lot to watch.