The Vancouver Canucks put Spencer Martin on waivers on Thursday, hoping he’ll get scooped up by one other staff.
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Spencer Martin’s time as a Vancouver Canuck could also be coming to an finish.
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The NHL staff positioned Martin on waivers Thursday, saying they intend to reassign him to AHL Abbotsford ought to he go unclaimed.
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However you need to assume the Canucks hope the 28-year-old goalie can be claimed by one other NHL membership, given the logjam of goalies they now have after buying and selling for Casey DeSmith final week.
In keeping with studies, the Canucks have been attempting to commerce Martin, who they signed to a two-year deal earlier than the 2022-23 season, hoping he would show to be a stable backup to No. 1 netminder Thatcher Demko.
Clearly they’ve discovered no commerce takers, a minimum of not but, so common supervisor Patrik Allvin has turned to a course of that might return a pittance of money to the Canucks, had been one other staff to place a declare in on Martin.
Canucks Report
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Martin, eternally placing on a courageous face, mentioned final week after the Canucks picked up DeSmith from the Montreal Canadiens he’s simply right here to play.
“Since final February, I really feel like I’ve been on a journey to get my recreation feeling pretty much as good as potential. I felt nice on the finish of final yr and had a terrific summer season. I’m in higher form than ever and my purpose is to come back right here and play within the NHL, and that doesn’t change,” he advised reporters final Friday.
If the Canucks can’t discover a new staff for Martin, they’ll be in a little bit of a roster pickle. They’re already more likely to begin the season with three goalies in Abbotsford — prime prospect Arturs Šilovs is slated to be the starter, backed up by AHL veteran Zach Sawchenko, plus big Belarusian undertaking Nikia Tolopilo — and it’s arduous to fathom them placing a fourth goalie on the market.
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Conceivably they may look to mortgage him to a different AHL staff, however there are few apparent touchdown spots as it’s.
Martin first signed with Vancouver earlier than the 2021-22 season to be one of many staff’s goalies in Abbotsford. His recreation progressed very nicely however he was unexpectedly pressed into service when each of the Canucks’ NHL goalies — Demko and then-backup Jaroslav Halák — had been stricken with COVID-19. Martin ended up taking part in three video games and stood on his head in all of them. He then performed three extra instances late within the season, impressing once more.
He received a two-year contract due to his play, with the Canucks hoping the event he’d proven in simply his first season with the group would ship consistency on the NHL stage. Within the early going final season, he proved regular, although unspectacular. However after Demko was injured in early December, the starter’s load fell on Martin.
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He staggered, then crumbled below the burden of being an NHL starter, finally ceding the backup job to Collin Delia and Šilovs. Martin rebuilt his confidence in Abbotsford and have become a top quality starter once more because the AHL Canucks progressed to the Calder Cup playoffs.
He’s within the second yr of his contract, which pays him US$775,000, with a barely decrease cap hit of $762,500. As a result of he’s on an NHL deal — and it isn’t an entry-level deal — Martin can’t be assigned to the ECHL with out his consent.
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