LATEST | The Canucks may have the steal of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft
It's been nearly four years since the Vancouver Canucks hosted the NHL Entry Draft and it appears that the team may have a steal on their hands.
When Jim Benning selected Latvian goaltender Arturs Silovs with the 156th overall pick in the sixth round, no one was really sure what his ceiling could be, but now after an incredible IIHF World Championship, there's a possibility he could become the Canucks' full-time back-up as early as next season.
Silovs came into the tournament as Latvia's back-up goaltender, but was thrusted into action just five minutes into their opening game against Canada after Ivars Punnenovs allowed two goals. Ever since that moment, Silovs took the reigns as Latvia's starter and guided them to the semi-finals for the first time in the nation's history, but they ultimately lost to Canada. They'll still have an opportunity to take home some hardware as they'll play in the Bronze Medal Game on Sunday morning.
After the semi-final loss, the Latvian Hockey Federation recognized the three best players on the team during the tournament and for his efforts, Silovs was named as one of those three players.
Do you think Silovs will be the back-up to Thatcher Demko next season or should Patrik Allvin scour the market for a veteran netminder? Let us know your thoughts in the poll below!
| POLL | ||
Will Arturs Silovs become Vancouver's full-time back-up goaltender next season? | ||
| Yes | 683 | 68.6 % |
| No | 131 | 13.2 % |
| Should get a veteran goaltender | 94 | 9.4 % |
| See Results | 88 | 8.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
