Report: Canucks, Thatcher Demko nearing contract extension

The Vancouver Canucks are nearing a contract extension with starting goaltender Thatcher Demko, reports hockey insider Frank Seravalli.

With one year remaining on his current contract, Demko is eligible to sign an extension as of July 1. Per PuckPedia, Demko is entering the final year of a five-year contract that carries a $5-million average annual value.

Limited to 23 games last season due to a knee injury, Demko put together a 10-8-3 record alongside an .889 save percentage, 2.90 goals-against average, and one shutout.

Originally chosen by the Canucks in the second round of the 2014 NHL Draft, the 29-year-old native of San Diego, Calif., has since put together a 126-89-20 career showing with a .910 save percentage, 2.80 goals-against average, and nine shutouts. Following the 2023-24 campaign, Demko finished as the runner up for the Vezina Trophy, presented annually to the NHL’s Goaltender of the Year, after he went 35-14-2 with a .918 save percentage, 2.45 goals-against average, and five shutouts.

A graduate of the NCAA’s Boston College Eagles, Demko spent three seasons in the collegiate ranks from 2013-16. In his final season, Demko put together a dominant 27-8-4 record coupled with .935 save percentage, 1.88 goals-against average, and 10 shutouts, helping him to claim the Mike Richter Award as the NCAA’s top goaltender. Demko also finished as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, presented each season to the top collegiate player.

With Demko sidelined for much of the 2024-25 campaign, the Canucks turned to 30-year-old Finnish-born netminder Kevin Lankinen who in 51 outings put together a 25-15-10 record with a .902 save percentage, 2.62 goals-against average, and four shutouts. In late April, the Canucks signed Lankinen to a five-year extension worth $4.5 million per season, according to PuckPedia.

The Canucks finished the 2024-25 season with a 38-30-14 record and six points back of a playoff position in the Western Conference.