Announcement: Vancouver Canucks Closing in on deal to sign 26-year-old Goaltender as situation gets uncertain with Arturs Silovs update

There’s no clear picture of who the Vancouver Canucks will have in net in October.

It could be their top tandem of Thatcher Demko and Arturs Silovs between the pipes when the NHL’s regular season starts. It could also be just one of them or neither.

That’s the latest glimpse of the Canucks’ crease after the Latvian hockey federation explained why the 23-year-old was left off its roster for this weekend’s men’s Olympic hockey qualifying tournament in Riga, Latvia.

On Thursday, the federation posted to social media in Latvian that while it initially planned to have Silovs for the tournament, he did not recover quickly enough from knee ligament inflammation.

Latvia added, however, that Silovs’ injury could threaten his start to the season with the Canucks.

Silovs played a crucial role for Latvia at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships. In 2022, he outperformed Elvis Merzlikins with the tournament’s top save percentage of .952. He then earned a sculpture of him in Riga for leading the country to a bronze medal in 2023. He was the tournament’s best goaltender that year and the MVP.

With that in mind, the injury is significant enough to not name him to the roster and have the DEL’s Kristers Gudlevskis, free agent Gustavs Grigals and Liiga’s Eriks Vitols instead.

The severity and timeline of both goaltenders’ injuries remain to be determined, which will matter as the Canucks aim to improve on last year’s breakout, sixth-overall finish in the NHL.

Dhaliwal and Drance report the Canucks have been poking around the goalie market as they explore their options to bolster their depth between the pipes. They claim management has also reached out to netminder Filip Gustavsson as the situation with their current goaltending prospect, Arturs Silovs, becomes increasingly uncertain.

The Athletic’s Joe Smith and Shayna Goldman noted the 26-year-old was the subject of trade speculation earlier in the off-season.

Gustavsson carries an average annual value of $3.75 million. The Wild have cap constraints of their own and are unlikely to retain, meaning it would have to be a dollar-in, dollar-out swap.

The Vancouver Canucks are reportedly closing in on a deal to sign goaltender Filip Gustavsson, this potential acquisition reflects the Canucks’ proactive approach to solidifying their goaltending depth, especially given the growing concerns surrounding Silovs.

If the Canucks can secure a deal to bring Gustavsson to Vancouver, it would represent a significant upgrade in net. Given his age and potential, Gustavsson could be a long-term solution for the Canucks, providing stability as they continue to build their roster around young talent.

Looking Ahead

As the situation with Arturs Silovs remains uncertain, the Canucks’ potential acquisition of Filip Gustavsson could prove to be a pivotal move. While nothing is official yet, the prospect of adding a young, talented goaltender like Gustavsson is certainly an exciting development for Canucks fans.

If the deal goes through, it would position Vancouver well for the future, ensuring they have the goaltending depth needed to navigate the ups and downs of an NHL season. As the offseason progresses, all eyes will be on the Canucks to see how this potential signing unfolds and what it means for the team’s aspirations moving forward.