Vancouver Canucks Rumors: Starting Goalie Staying Put

The rumor that Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko wants out of Vancouver has been squashed as he doesn't want to go anywhere. Rick Dhaliwal revealed that Demko said that reports he wants out of Vancouver are not true. Demko's agent has also been telling Dhaliwal the same thing for weeks that he has never asked for a trade.

Demko is close to making his return to the lineup since he last played December 1. It was a very rough start to the season and neither he nor the team could win a game for a while. It seemed like every puck was going in the back of the net. The Canucks have been better since snapping out of their early season struggles, and Demko's recovery could be the reset he needed to get back on track. He was one of the best goaltenders last season which gave hope for the Canucks this season.

Demko had a record of 33-22-7 last season with a .915 save percentage and 14.9 goals saved above average. Before his injury this season, he had a 3-10-2 record with .883 SV% and -10.9 GSAA. It is a major outlier year seeing as his career numbers are very good as he's arguably just entering his prime. Excluding this season, Demko has a career .913 SV% and 17.7 GSAA which is good numbers for being on a team like the Canucks.

The Canucks are still hoping that they can retool as they have their core pieces the team hopes can lead them into the future under contract. Demko should be seen as one of those and he should be thrust right back into the starting role once he is healthy enough to return to full action.