One of those decisions is regarding backup goaltender Casey DeSmith, who Allvin brought in via a trade with the Montreal Canadiens in September 2023. DeSmith had one more year on his contract coming into the season and with the strong play of Arturs Silovs in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, many were wondering if his time in Vancouver was over.
Well, it appears that may be the case. According to Rick Dhaliwal, there have been no discussions on a new contract between the Vancouver Canucks and DeSmith's camp, with it seeming more and more likely the goaltender will hit the free agent market on Canada Day.
DeSmith, 32, appeared in 29 games during the regular season for the Vancouver Canucks and did a pretty solid job in Thatcher Demko's absence later in the year due to a knee issue. The Rochester, New Hampshire native posted a record of 12-9-6 with a 2.85 goals against average, an .896 save percentage and one shutout.
This is definitely the right move from Patrik Allvin and the management group. With both Demko and DeSmith injured at points in the playoffs, Arturs Silovs stepped up in a big way, like he did at the 2023 World Championship with Latvia. He's more than ready to become a full-time backup goaltender in the National Hockey League.
