Canucks Demko Fully Deserving Of Vezina Nomination After Career Season
Thatcher Demko is the third goaltender in Vancouver Canucks history to be nominated for the Vezina Trophy.
Photo by Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports - Canucks Demko Fully Deserving Of Vezina Nomination After Career SeasonThe 2024 NHL Awards are jam-packed with Vancouver Canucks players and staff. Rick Tocchet has already been awarded the Jack Adams Award, while Quinn Hughes is expected to take home the Norris Trophy. Another Canucks player in the running for a year award is Thatcher Demko, who, after posting 35 wins, was nominated for the Vezina Trophy.
This year, Demko became the third goaltender in franchise history to be nominated for the Vezina Trophy. He joins Roberto Luongo (2nd in 07, 3rd in 11) and Kirk McLean (2nd in 92, 3rd in 89) as the only three goalies in Vancouver's history to be nominated for the prestigious award. As for his competition, Demko was recognized alongside Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets and Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers, who both put together strong 2023-24 campaigns.
Despite missing a month of action with an injury, Demko was still able to win 35 games, which ranked tied for sixth in the NHL this season. He also set a new career high with five shutouts, while his .918 SV% and 2.45 GAA were both career bests. This season, Demko also became the fifth player in franchise history to hit the 100 career win mark, finishing the season in fourth place with 116.
The analytics shows just how valuable Demko was to the Canucks this season. According to MoneyPuck, Demko had 9.7 goals saved above expected at five-on-five, while in all situations, his 22.0 goals saved above expected ranked second in the NHL. Demko also ranked second in wins above replacement at 3.67, with only Hellebuyck having a higher total.
Demko has developed into one of the league's best goaltenders and showed what he is capable of throughout the 2023-24 season. Whether it was diving saves or simply just being in the right possession constantly, Demko was one of Vancouver's best players this season. While he may not win the Vezina this year, he should receive plenty more nominations as well as wins if he can continue to play at a high level over the rest of his Canucks career.
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