Spencer Martin began final season because the Canucks’ No. 2 goalie, however opened this season because the crew’s doubtless fourth alternative.
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Spencer Martin’s time as a Vancouver Canucks is over.
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The veteran goalie was claimed on waivers by the Columbus Blue Jackets Friday, a day after the Canucks had put him in entrance of the remainder of the league, basically asking for nothing in return.
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Columbus solely had two goalies with NHL expertise on their depth chart — starter Elvis Merzlikins and his backup Daniil Tarasov — in order that they wanted a 3rd goalie and Martin clearly suits the invoice. Columbus do have 34-year-old Aaron Dell in camp on knowledgeable tryout, however clearly most well-liked Martin to be their next-in-line goalie.
Tarasov has missed all of pre-season to date with a knee downside, so within the brief time period Martin appears prone to function Merzlikins’ backup, until the Blue Jackets need to go along with Dell. (Notably, Merzlikins struggled with damage final 12 months as effectively.)
Canucks Report
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If and when Columbus need to ship Martin to the minors, he’ll need to be waived once more by Columbus. NHL groups hardly ever carry three goalies on their NHL roster, even when they know they should go three and even 4 goalies deep most seasons now.
Whether or not he stays within the NHL or does find yourself again within the minors, both means it’s a recent begin for Martin. He performed hero throughout the Canucks’ COVID-19 goalie disaster in 2021-22, standing on his head and conserving the Canucks in a far-fetched playoff chase after No. 1 Thatcher Demko and backup Jaroslav Halák fell in poor health.
He’d signed with the Canucks so he may work with goalie coach Ian Clark, who rebuilt his recreation. Martin credited Clark’s steerage for his success.
The Canucks then signed Martin to a two-year NHL deal and had him begin 2022-23 because the crew’s backup. He began the season all proper, however when Demko injured his groin in early December, Martin was thrust into the starter’s function and he ended up crumbling beneath the burden of a rigorous taking part in schedule and a porous defence in entrance of him.
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His run turned so bitter that his save proportion over his 27 begins final season within the NHL — 87.1 — was the worst save proportion for a goalie with at the least 10 begins since Maxim Lagace’s 86.7 for Vegas in 2017-18. Apparently, Columbus’ Merzlikins posted a 87.7 save proportion over 27 begins final season and certainly one of his backups, Michael Hutchinson, publish the identical save proportion however in simply 10 begins.
Anyway, Martin’s season was going so poorly he was demoted to the minors in February and remained with AHL Abbotsford via the rest of the season, the place he rediscovered his confidence and his recreation, serving to Abbotsford make the Calder Cup playoffs.
However with Arturs Šilovs’s inventory rising after a robust run with Abbotsford final season — he additionally made some stable begins within the NHL and completed the season on a excessive, guiding Lativa to their best-ever end on the World Championships — the low season signing of Zach Sawchenko to play in Abbotsford after which the Canucks buying and selling for Casey DeSmith final week, the writing was on the wall.
It wasn’t a shock to listen to final week that maybe the Canucks would search for a buying and selling companion for Martin, or yesterday that they have been merely going to waive him.
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