A deep dive into the 2023-24 season of Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko.

Welcome 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 Thatcher Demko, who had 35 wins and five shutouts in 51 games. 

What a year it was for Demko. Vancouver's starting goaltender posted a career-high 35 wins and became the third goaltender in franchise history to be nominated for the Vezina Trophy. Demko also became the fifth goaltender in Canucks history to surpass the 100-win mark for their career, finishing the season ranked fourth with 116. Lastly, he posted new career bests in GAA (2.45) and SV% (.918) while also being named to the All-Star Game and NHL's Second All-Star Team.

When looking at NHL EDGE, it is clear why Demko finished second in Vezina voting. His .845 high-danger save percentage ranked in the 97th percentile, while his goal differential per 60 of 1.05 ranked in the 99th percentile. Throughout the season, he proved to be one of the best goaltenders at stopping high-danger shots, often performing highlight reel saves and swinging momentum in Vancouver's favour. 

While goaltending analytics vary from site to site, the one thing they all have in common is that Demko was near the top for goals saved above expected. Below is a look at where he ranked in goals saves above expected at all strengths according to three of the most used public tracking sites:

Despite slightly different totals on all three sites, Demko finished second on all three, with only Connor Hellebuyck ahead of him. Whether at even strength, on the penalty kill, or in a six-on-five situation late in games, Demko provided elite goaltending, keeping Vancouver in games they arguably should have lost. If not for his injury, the Vezina voting would have been closer, as Demko would have led the league in wins rather than finishing in seventh place.

While Demko did have his best season in the NHL, the most significant talking point heading into the offseason is, once again, injuries. After missing 35 games with a groin injury in 2022-23, Demko was sidelined for 14 regular season games as well as 12 of the Canucks 13 postseason games with knee injuries. With a history of injuries as well as the 4 Nations Face-Off, which he is expected to participate in as part of Team U.S.A, Vancouver may need to adjust his playing schedule in order to keep Demko healthy throughout the season and playoffs. 

Overall, Demko's 2023-24 season was one of the best in franchise history. Demko's 35 wins were tied with Roberto Luongo's 2007-08 campaign for the fifth most in franchise history, while he also tied Dan Cloutier's franchise record for longest win streak at nine games. If he can stay healthy and replicate his success, Demko has a good chance of becoming the first player in franchise history with back-to-back Vezina Trophy nominations. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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