Player Discussion Thatcher Demko

[Jay26]

People need to stop with this Demko as the 2nd coming. He was just “average” to maybe “good” this year. I see these “Vezina caliber goalie” comparisons and it makes me laugh. He’s 21st in GAA and 14th in SP%. He has 1 shutout this year. The numbers as …. Average.

People then say “well we rode him to the ground” …. He’s played the exact same amount as Markstrom who has 9 shutouts , 5th in SP and 3rd in GAA


Stop with the “elite goalie” nonsense. It sounds dumb if anyone outside of this market hears it.

"It sounds dumb if anyone outside this market hears it"

What a crock. You're projecting your own pessimism on everyone else. Check out the main board goalie tier thread that's there right now. Demko also has had some of the best underlying goalie numbers for a few years now.

His reputation is well deserved.

 

[Jay26]

I don’t think you are correct. You want to cherry pick “metrics” but not look at the 3 categories the NHL looks at and have been used forever in GAA , SP, SO etc.

Also rewind 10 games back and he was still not in the top 10 in any of those 3 stats so that argument is moot. Also the 3 goalies who have played more than him , all have better stats.

Your last point as “this is another development year” for him, sure. Then let’s just say that and not think he’s above average. Let’s just say that he’s had an average year because he’s still learning and not he’s a top 5 or even top 10 NHL goalie.

It's not cherry picking. Context is more important with goaltenders than any other position in the sport.

 

[AlainVigneaultsGum]

Top 32 goalie in the league.

 

[bossram]

FWIW, Clear Sight Analytics' version of GSAx has Demko as a top-five goaltender last season. Their xG model has more data than public ones - pre-shot passing being a big difference in the models.

He's elite.

 

[Johnny Canucker]

"It sounds dumb if anyone outside this market hears it"

What a crock. You're projecting your own pessimism on everyone else. Check out the main board goalie tier thread that's there right now. Demko also has had some of the best underlying goalie numbers for a few years now.

His reputation is well deserved.

Dude just stop. He got 1 third place Vezina vote. The same as Tristan Jarry and Ville Hudson lol. It’s enough now. He’s a good goalie. He’s not as good as you think he is and that’s ok.

 

[VanJack]

According to Canucks President Jim Rutherford who a goalie himself, Demko is 'a franchise goalie'. What's the definition of a 'franchise goalie"? Well, the definition in my book is Luongo in his prime; Brodeur in the Devils glory years; Price on top of his game in Montreal; and Marc Andre Fleury when he was in his mid to late 20's.

Is Demko that good? Well obviously we'll have to wait and see. But if indeed Rutherford is right, then that's the kind of company we're talking about. So you have to take all the brickbats on these boards with a huge grain of salt.

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

He’s already a top 10 goalie in the NHL, could crack the top 5 this season.

 

[F A N]

According to Canucks President Jim Rutherford who a goalie himself, Demko is 'a franchise goalie'. What's the definition of a 'franchise goalie"? Well, the definition in my book is Luongo in his prime; Brodeur in the Devils glory years; Price on top of his game in Montreal; and Marc Andre Fleury when he was in his mid to late 20's.

Is Demko that good? Well obviously we'll have to wait and see. But if indeed Rutherford is right, then that's the kind of company we're talking about. So you have to take all the brickbats on these boards with a huge grain of salt.

To me a franchise goaltender is a goalie you can build a team around / don’t need to upgrade.

A lot of people don’t realize that it is not easy finding a goalie who is a good #1 goalie year after year. These tend to be franchise goalies in their primes and for many years.

But ya there are still people who swear that Eddie Lack was better than both Luongo and Miller and will never admit that they are wrong.

 

[Hit the post]

Calgary got a #1 for free via free agency. Vezina candidate even. Granted, he ran out of gas after the regular season.

 

[nergish]

Dude just stop. He got 1 third place Vezina vote. The same as Tristan Jarry and Ville Hudson lol. It’s enough now. He’s a good goalie. He’s not as good as you think he is and that’s ok.

You are technically correct in your overall assessment, his key numbers are pretty average. Average on a below average team.
I would hope that he has much more to give going forward...

However, as someone who has been a goaltender for 20 years I can tell you - Thatcher is the chosen one I've been searching for my entire life as a fan. He has that rare unshakeable mental quality to go along with his tremendous size, flexibility, and positional strength. His game can be summarized in one word - poise.

It's the reason why goalies are so difficult to scout, and why some that make the show tend to run hot for entire seasons at a time, only to fall off the next one. Because few have the mental discipline to handle every play the same way repeatedly without fail, regardless of the situation on the ice or on the jumbotron.

He will always make the right choices in his crease, and that makes him extremely dependable. Throw in great quickness and reflexes... he's a modern day Pekka Rinne. Thatcher will tend the crease in Vancouver for a long, long time.

 

[elitepete]

best goalie on the planet

 

[Hit the post]

best goalie on the planet

Not quite the best of Alpha Centauri but he's getting there.

 

[mossey3535]

You are technically correct in your overall assessment, his key numbers are pretty average. Average on a below average team.
I would hope that he has much more to give going forward...

However, as someone who has been a goaltender for 20 years I can tell you - Thatcher is the chosen one I've been searching for my entire life as a fan. He has that rare unshakeable mental quality to go along with his tremendous size, flexibility, and positional strength. His game can be summarized in one word - poise.

It's the reason why goalies are so difficult to scout, and why some that make the show tend to run hot for entire seasons at a time, only to fall off the next one. Because few have the mental discipline to handle every play the same way repeatedly without fail, regardless of the situation on the ice or on the jumbotron.

He will always make the right choices in his crease, and that makes him extremely dependable. Throw in great quickness and reflexes... he's a modern day Pekka Rinne. Thatcher will tend the crease in Vancouver for a long, long time.

I was with you until you cited Pekka Rinne as someone who always makes the right choices in the crease.

I don't have the same shade of rose coloured glasses as you do about Thatcher, but I do think he's already an excellent goalie with room to grow.

 

[nergish]

I was with you until you cited Pekka Rinne as someone who always makes the right choices in the crease.

I don't have the same shade of rose coloured glasses as you do about Thatcher, but I do think he's already an excellent goalie with room to grow.

Was Rinne not a dependable, all-star level goaltender for many years? I was actually comparing Thatcher’s athleticism and quickness to Pekka’s (who was ridiculously fast in the crease for a big guy).

Demmer is a stronger positional goaltender for sure, though.

 

[Green Blank Stare]

He's been ass this season.

 

[AppleHoneySauce]

I wonder if he is having lingering injury issues. He looks slower than normal. Teams Keep cross Creasing him and he just isn't able to reposition fast enough.

 

[VanJack]

Demko is morphing into another 'Alex Auld' before our very eyes. He had basically had one good year in the Vancouver uniform then it was all downhill.

Not saying Demko will become another Auld.....but last year may have been the 'high water mark' And he's coming back down to earth this season, where so far he's looked like just another 'average' NHL goaltender.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

He is a goaltender.

It is an extremely volatile position from year to year.

Im not going to make any rash long term judgments on Demko based on how he has started this year.

 

[MarkusNaslund19]

Demko is morphing into another 'Alex Auld' before our very eyes. He had basically had one good year in the Vancouver uniform then it was all downhill.

Not saying Demko will become another Auld.....but last year may have been the 'high water mark' And he's coming back down to earth this season, where so far he's looked like just another 'average' NHL goaltender.

This is going to be an embarrassing comparison (though you tried to backpedal a bit out of it) very very quickly. Let me remind you it's based on a 4 game sample size.

 

[Coffee]

Demko is morphing into another 'Alex Auld' before our very eyes. He had basically had one good year in the Vancouver uniform then it was all downhill.

Not saying Demko will become another Auld.....but last year may have been the 'high water mark' And he's coming back down to earth this season, where so far he's looked like just another 'average' NHL goaltender.

I like your posts and forgive me, but you’ve lost your mind.

Demko’s career progression and our goalie coach are all the things needed to make me believe this is merely a slow start, possibly injury.

 

[Sharkbomb]

Demko hasn't looked super sharp, but its hard to blame him when the defense in front of him has been playing AHL caliber hockey for entire periods.

The team just needs to play home and forget about this brutal road trip. Demko will be bounce back to last season's form, I have no doubts about that.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Demko is morphing into another 'Alex Auld' before our very eyes. He had basically had one good year in the Vancouver uniform then it was all downhill.

Not saying Demko will become another Auld.....but last year may have been the 'high water mark' And he's coming back down to earth this season, where so far he's looked like just another 'average' NHL goaltender.

It will be great if he turns into an average goaltender for a bit. It will really expose how bad this team can be with average or below average goaltending.

 

[canuckking1]

I won't dump on Demko. He's always been bailing out the team and now he's playing poorly and the team can't return the favour.

 

[sting101]

i wonder if Rangers and TB fans hope their goalies play average so they can expose their "teams" for what they are???

FFS what a frustrating perspective.

I wonder if the KC Chiefs and Biffalo Bills fans hope Mahomes and Josh Allen play average so they can watch their teams struggle to win and not make playoffs.

It's insane yes we need other parts of our team to be better but WHY would we want anything but elite goaltending and Vezina trophies for Demko and this team. Demko IS a Canuck isn't he??

 

[PuckMunchkin]

i wonder if Rangers and TB fans hope their goalies play average so they can expose their "teams" for what they are???

FFS what a frustrating perspective.

I wonder if the KC Chiefs and Biffalo Bills fans hope Mahomes and Josh Allen play average so they can watch their teams struggle to win and not make playoffs.

It's insane yes we need other parts of our team to be better but WHY would we want anything but elite goaltending and Vezina trophies for Demko and this team. Demko IS a Canuck isn't he??

Elite QB play is not luck based and volatile from year to year.

Elite goalie play is just about the most luck based and volatile position in all of team sports from year to year.

If your plan to build your team includes "And then our QB will save us by outplaying the opposing defence" you are probably on the right track.

If your plan to build your team includes "And then the goalie will save us from our horrid defence" you really don't have a plan to build a team.