Is there such a factor as too many goalies? Canucks GM Patrik Allvin would not appear to assume so
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Patrik Allvin chuckled a little bit Wednesday when it was identified that he now has seven goalies underneath contract after buying and selling Tuesday for veteran backup Casey DeSmith.
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“I do consider we’re going to have eight at camp right here with Ty Younger,” the Vancouver Canucks normal supervisor mentioned, grinning whereas correcting a reporter.
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Younger, the Prince George Cougars’ goalie who the Canucks drafted in 2022, carried out properly for the Canucks in final weekend’s Younger Stars Traditional in Penticton however stays with out an NHL contract. For the Canucks to retain his rights, he’ll should be signed earlier than the 2024 NHL draft.
Seven or eight, the actual fact is goaltending is a place the Canucks should not quick on expertise. They’ve acquired apparent No. 1 Thatcher Demko, then DeSmith, for the NHL roster. Behind their high two are high prospect Arturs Silovs and veteran Spencer Martin, plus veteran Zach Sawchenko who performed 41 video games for the AHL’s Chicago Wolves final season. After which there’s Nikita Tolopilo, the enormous Belarusian signed final spring to an NHL deal.
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That’s six goalies on NHL offers. There’s additionally former Concordia College goalie Jonathan Lemieux, signed to an AHL deal in August.
This season might be a far cry from the 2018-19 season, when Jim Benning’s Canucks ended up so mild on goalies — they’d simply two wholesome goalies on NHL offers at one level — they had been compelled at hand an emergency begin to Micheal DiPietro after accidents pushed each Thatcher Demko and Jacob Markstrom out of motion, a pair months after Richard Bachman tore his achilles and Mike McKenna was misplaced on waivers.
Requested if there’s such a factor as too many goalies, Allvin didn’t say no.
“Competitors and roster spots, simply makes the camp even higher,” he replied.
However as soon as camp breaks, some choices are going to should be made. The Canucks restarted their ECHL affiliation with the Kalamazoo Wings, a crew they’ve had an on-again, off-again relationship with over the previous decade or so. It appears apparent that Lemieux, a first-year professional who was signed to present Abbotsford dependable depth in aim, will begin the 12 months with Kalamazoo.
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Nonetheless, that would go away 4 goalies in Abbotsford. It’s apparent that a minimum of one — it’s a must to assume Sawchenko — would even be assigned to Kalamazoo. Tolopilo is a, literal, big mission and it’s a must to assume the Canucks might be eager for him to get loads of one-on-one time within the early going with goalie improvement coach Marko Torenius in Abbotsford.
However even three goalies in Abbotsford isn’t splendid, Allvin mentioned.
“I believe it’s essential for younger gamers to play loads of video games so positively not an excellent scenario to have three goalies. So there positively might be some actions. That’s why, a part of why, we agreed on having an affiliation with Kalamazoo,” he mentioned.
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