Big Turn of Events in Thatcher Demko's Future with Canucks, per Insider

Is Thatcher Demko a trade candidate or an extension candidate?

It was just last week that the Vancouver Canucks were said to be open to trading former Vézina Trophy runner-up Thatcher Demko. With Kevin Lankinen about to start his new five-year, $4.5 million extension, was Demko starting to feel like a $5 million luxury?

Apparently not, as the latest intel from insider Darren Dreger on TSN’ Overdrive, is that the Canucks are now actually looking to extend Demko, who has one year left on a $5M cap hit.

"I believe the Canucks are leaning towards a contract extension with Demko rather than trading him."@DarrenDreger shares the latest on Thatcher Demko's future and the likelihood of remaining with the team. #Canucks pic.twitter.com/xJEM5Yq9yd
— OverDrive (@OverDrive1050) June 25, 2025

"I don't know what the firm numbers are, I don't know what the term is that's being discussed by the Vancouver Canucks and Demko's representative, but I was told by a couple of teams (on Wednesday) that Demko is more or less off the market," said Dreger. "I wouldn't call it close or imminent… But it does sound like progress is being made on a multi-year extension.

"I got the sense that an extension is much more likely than a trade at this time."

The Canucks had set a goal of a young, controllable top-six forward as a return in any trade of Demko, but unless someone is able to blow them away with an offer in pretty short order, it doesn't sound like that will be happening.

Of course, it's possible that this leak is a negotiating ploy for the Canucks to drive up the asking price for any interested teams, but we'll have to wait and see on that.

Demko came into this past season on the shelf for an indefinite period. That forced Vancouver to find an alternative, and after signing Lankinen to a one-year, team-friendly deal, he went out and put a choke-hold on the Canucks' starting goalie's job, ultimately landing the five-year extension.

How much of their cap are the Canucks comfortable dedicating to goaltending? We'll find out soon enough.