Canucks Demko Ranked Sixth Best Goaltender By NHL Network Heading Into 2024-25 Season
Thatcher Demko saw his ranking jump from tenth last season to sixth this year.
Photo by Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports - Canucks Demko Ranked Sixth Best Goaltender By NHL Network Heading Into 2024-25 SeasonWith the 2024-25 regular season just two months away, NHL Network has released their "Top 10 Goalies Right Now" list. While it is not surprising that Thatcher Demko is on the list, his position of sixth is questionable, considering his season last year. If anything, it is another reminder of just how underrated Demko, as the reigning runner-up for the Vezina Trophy, somehow doesn't even make the top five.
In order, the five goaltenders ahead of Demko are Igor Shesterkin, Connor Hellebucyk, Andrei Vasilveskiy, Jeremy Swayman, and Ilya Sorokin. While this list packs plenty of All-Star talent, there are a few names Demko should be ahead of. There is also another goaltender in Sergei Bobrovsky, who deserves to be in the top five, but that is a discussion for another day.
Back to Demko, compared to the goaltenders in the top six, he ranked third in wins (35), second in save percentage (.918) and tied for second in shutouts (5). Demko also finished second in all situations goals saved above expected (22.0) according to MoneyPuck, trailing only Hellebucyk, who took home the 2024 Vezina Trophy. From a statistics perspective, Demko's ranking does not make sense, as he was arguably the second-best goaltender last year.
The one area that may hurt Demko in the rankings is his injury. He missed significant time in the regular season and was limited to only one postseason game. That being said, the fact that he missed time yet still produced outstanding numbers is another reason Demko deserves to be higher on the rankings.
While the Canucks have elite players like Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser, Demko is the glue that holds the team together. He makes saves few goaltenders can and is a calming presence in the net. If he can replicate his success next season, he could become the first goaltender in franchise history to win a Vezina Trophy.
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