young goalies are never ready
there will be growing pains in the NHL but that's a good thing as we are nowhere near playoff contention
demko is still the best goalie prospect in my eyes
I read this post this evening while watching the Pittsburgh/Boston fiasco. Thought I'd share what I have gathered from the Vancouver brain trust and Cory Schneider.
I think the Canucks plan to grow Thatcher just like Schneider was grown and Cory has personally stated he hopes they do.
Cory - 3 seasons at NCAA Boston College
Thatcher - 3 seasons at NCAA Boston College
Cory - 1st 2 pro 2 seasons in AHL Manitoba
(21 yrs-old) yr 1 - 36 GP
yr 2 - 40 GP
Thatcher - 1st 2 pro seasons in AHL Utica
(20 and turned 21 yrs-old in December) yr 1 - 45 GP
yr 2 - 34 GP with 19 games remaining.
Cory - 3rd yr pro full season in AHL Manitoba and 2 NHL starts.
Yr 4 ('10-11) - backup role in Vancouver, 25 GP
'11-12 - 33 GP Vancouver
'12-13 - lockout year and 30 GP Vancouver
'13-14 - Traded to NJ and shared the season with Marty Brodeur, 46 GP
'14-15 - NJ #1
They have planned it the same way. Nilsson has 1 season left on his contract.
Markstrom has 2.
They have it set for Demko to take over sole possession of #1 in Utica, '18-19. His 3rd pro season.
Bachman's contract ends this year.
Then he backs up/shares in Vancouver in '19-20.
If all went well he takes over in '20-21. He would be 25. If not he backs up another season. Cory did not take over as #1 in NJ until 28.
That was the plan. They might stick to it while biding the time with another space saver and get rid of Nilsson/Markstrom (I think it will be Nilsson). If the new space saver takes the #1 over so be it and Demko proceeds as planned backing up/sharing with him in '19-20.
Demko is the last player they have that they want to risk bringing on too soon. He is the future and they want to be extremely careful with his progression. Waivers don't apply until the 2020-21 season.
(I don't think I ****ed up any of the numbers above.)