Vancouver Canucks Rumors: 3 Offseason Backup Goalie Targets

One of the places the Vancouver Canucks struggled at this season was goaltending. Thatcher Demko and the team had a very poor start to the season before he was injured for a long while. Things didn't get much better as next in line was Spencer Martin and he posted a .871 save percentage in 27 starts.

Colin Delia and Martin aren't viable backup options if the Canucks want to have hope of getting back into the postseason. So here are three options the team can target in the offseason to help their chances.

Antti Raanta

There's no way around it for the Carolina Hurricanes. They have been running with three capable goaltenders all season long. Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta are their top-two go-to goalies as Pyotr Kochetkov is still able to pass through waivers. As of next season he won't be and both Andersen and Raanta are UFAs at the end of the season.

One of the two are going to hit the open market and Andersen has proven to be the more elite goaltender throughout his career. This means there is a very good chance Raanta will be changing teams. Seeing how he's put up very strong numbers in his career when healthy, he is a very viable option. If he does have more injury problems, the team always has Martin for one more season and Arturs Silovs as the third and fourth string goalies. Raanta would be a good veteran presence behind Demko and can easily provide quality starts if their starter struggles.

Alex Nedeljkovic

Alex Nedeljkovic has had a very up and down season, but he is doing well at the right time. He is set to become a UFA after the season and his stock has been rising since he returned to the NHL and has been starting for the Detroit Red Wings once again.

He will come at a fairly cheap price considering his very poor numbers to start the season. Though he went 2-4-2 to begin the season with a .880 save percentage, he has posted a 3-3-0 record with a .920 SV% since being recalled. He will likely be heading to free agency and the Canucks could get him at a low price for a year or two to see if he can continue his rebound. He has something to prove just like Vancouver.

James Reimer

If the Canucks are looking for more of a veteran presence to back up Demko, James Reimer will be one of the best options for them to target in free agency. Though his season hasn't been as impressive as 2021-22, the San Jose Sharks are also a very bad team and don't give him much help.

Reimer will definitely look a lot different on Vancouver than he has on San Jose this season and if they lose out on bidding for a couple of other potential backups and he comes at a cheap price for a year, it is worth a shot. Reimer can definitely carry a good workload as well.