2023-24 Vancouver Canucks Player Review: Casey DeSmith
A deep dive into the 2023-24 season of Vancouver Canucks goaltender Casey DeSmith.
Photo by Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports - 2023-24 Vancouver Canucks Player Review: Casey DeSmithWelcome to the 2023-24 Vancouver Canucks player review series. Over the summer, we will be taking a look at Canucks players performances from the 2023-24 season. Today's player is Casey DeSmith, who had 12 wins and one shutout in 29 games.
DeSmith was a solid backup in his one season with Vancouver. In 29 games, he posted a record of 12-9-6 and was able to help the Canucks secure their first-ever Pacific Division title. His strong play even nabbed him a multi-year deal in free agency as DeSmith signed with the Dallas Stars for the next three seasons.
As for the postseason, DeSmith was thrust into action during Games 2 and 3 of the first round. While he was unable to come away with a win in Game 2, he stopped 29 of 30 shots he faced in Game 3, helping Vancouver take a 2-1 series lead. Unfortunately, DeSmith did get hurt but was able to be Artūrs Šilovs' backup for the rest of the postseason.
During the season, DeSmith showed just how valuable it is to have an experienced backup with over 100 NHL games. DeSmith secured at least a point in 18 of the 27 games he was the goaltender of record while recording a goals-against average of 2.89. More often than not, he was able to keep the Canucks in games, especially early in the season when he posted a 4-0-1 record through his first five starts.
While he was only in Vancouver for one year, bringing in DeSmith was a smart move by Canucks management. While he did struggle on occasion, DeSmith did have some standout performances and delivered a win in the postseason. Ulitamelty, it is fair to say that without DeSmith, Vancouver would not have been as successful during the 2023-24 season.
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