‘The (Canadiens) commerce was just a little little bit of a bizarre expertise. They’d three goalies. I knew anyone was most likely on the best way out and sort of had a sense it is likely to be me.’ — Casey DeSmith
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Casey DeSmith was attending to know his new environment in early August.
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The amiable roll-with-the-punches goaltender had been dealt from Pittsburgh to Montreal and suiting up for a storied NHL franchise that he had lengthy admired — and idolizing former Canadiens stoppers Jose Theodore and Patrick Roy — would make for a seamless adjustment.
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A staff golf event and instantaneous camaraderie had been like a red-carpet welcome to a hockey mecca.
Six weeks later, the truth of being a back-up kicked in. DeSmith was dealt to Vancouver.
It’s takes a sure manner to endure a roller-coaster existence of questioning if you’ll see the online once more — particularly with Canucks starter Thatcher Demko in Vezina Trophy type — and the place you could be subsequent summer time on a present expiring contract.
“It might probably’t be any extra hectic than it was this previous offseason,” reasoned DeSmith. “I’m simply hoping wherever I find yourself, it’s a clean transition. The commerce (to the Canadiens) was just a little little bit of a bizarre expertise for me. They had been very forthcoming when as a result of they’d three goalies, plus (minor-leaguer) Cayden Primeau who’s an excellent goalie.
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“I knew anyone was most likely on the best way out and sort of had a sense it is likely to be me. I grew up an enormous Habs fan and it was a thrill to go to Montreal and skating with the staff 4 our 5 instances, All people was nice.
“However they didn’t know the state of affairs. I didn’t really feel like I used to be completely there ever.”
For the Canucks, buying DeSmith, 32, in a September swap for Tanner Pearson and a 2025 third-round draft choose, was prudent. It offered a confirmed NHL back-up after the free-agency departure of Collin Delia and gave prospect Arturs Silovs, 22, one other 12 months of AHL seasoning in Abbotsford.
“It’s a terrific feeling to be someplace the place they actually wished me to work with (Thatcher) Demko and (goalie coach) Ian Clark,” mentioned DeSmih, a Rochester, N.H., native, who sports activities a 2-0-1 document, 3.07 goals-against common and .917 saves share.
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“And it’s good to have stability with guys I’ve identified from different groups. There’s loads of comfortability for me.”
Right here’s our weekly Q&A with the undrafted and undaunted DeSmith:
Q. Your first impressions of working with dialled-in Demko?
A. I’ve been having fun with my time. It’s good to alter up goalie companions. He’s very intense. Particularly on sport days. Nice man. Places within the work and deserves all of the success he’s had on this league — that’s for positive.
Q. Prime tandems have good chemistry. How’s the progress?
A. It’s been actually good. Fairly seamless. I haven’t had loads of goalie companions in my profession as a result of I used to be in the identical place (Pittsburgh) and Demmer has been nice. Tremendous welcoming.
Q. Ian Clark is a demanding ‘Goalie Whisperer’. Impressions?
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A. There’s little doubt he’s among the finest minds on the market. He works exhausting for us and expects us to work exhausting. His basic depth is absolutely good. But it surely’s not so tense the place he sucks the enjoyable out of being a goalie. He retains it mild more often than not, however expects exhausting work and outcomes. Definitively, excessive expectations, however I like his basic strategy.
Q. Refining your sport is constructing on an excellent basis. Proper?
A. Very correct. It’s an ongoing dialogue of the place we wish to go and develop my sport and issues that should be labored on — rectified, cleaned up and made extra environment friendly. There’s at all times work to be carried out, it’s not a completed product. However come sport time, he (Clark) is sweet at placing all that behind us and simply letting me go play.
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Q. How do you deal with psychological problem of ready, delivering?
A. Simply do my job when known as upon. It is likely to be as soon as every week or each two weeks, or twice every week. You simply don’t know. God forbid one thing occurs after which I’m the man. I’ve to be regular and make the saves I’m imagined to make and a pair I’m not imagined to make. Give the staff an opportunity each time I get in there. And never have the staff really feel it’s a letdown once I do go in.
Q. Sidney Crosby picked you for post-COVID follow group. A thrill?
A. Sid was at all times an unbelievable captain and teammate to me. I actually can’t say sufficient nice issues about him as an individual and simply the instance he units for everybody. I beloved going towards him in follow. I miss him as a result of he would carry it daily.
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Q. You confronted 59 photographs to brush a 2016 AHL sequence. Recollections?
A. My dad and mom had been there and my sisters and uncle, so I had loads of help. To comb the Windfall Bruins in my first couple of weeks within the AHL was actually cool. I keep in mind Jake Guentzel scoring the sequence winner in double OT and successful three-straight video games in OT.
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