Canucks Add Veteran Goaltender On Tryout Deal
The move comes on the heels of Johnson's own uncertainty about starter Thatcher Demko's readiness for opening night. "I've said all along with Thatcher, we've never really been operating on timelines," Johnson told Patrick Johnston of the Vancouver Province. "When you come this far with something, why not make sure you take the last final steps? He's had a great summer physically and mentally."
Vancouver Needed The Depth
Demko has been limited by injury for two straight seasons, appearing in just 23 games in 2024-25 and only 20 last year, despite skating in Vancouver all offseason under the team's watchful eye.
That leaves a question mark at the top of the depth chart heading into a September 29 season opener in Edmonton.
#Canucks sign veteran goalie Chris Driedger to a PTO.
— Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) August 27, 2026
32-year-old has a .917 SV% in 67 career NHL games. Played last season in the KHL.
The situation behind Demko isn't much more settled.
Kevin Lankinen is locked in as a starting-caliber option, but Nikita Tolopilo struggled badly filling in last season, posting a 6-11-2 record with an .881 save percentage and a 3.61 goals-against average across 21 games.
Without Driedger, Tolopilo likely would have simply inherited the backup job by default. Now he'll have to win it. "We're ready for anything," Johnson said, when asked about the possibility of carrying three goaltenders into the season.
Veteran Betting On A Bounce-Back
Driedger, 32, spent last season overseas with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL before the two sides mutually parted ways in November, a stint that didn't produce especially strong results.
For his NHL career, though, the Winnipeg native carries a much stronger .917 save percentage and 2.45 goals-against average across 67 games with the Senators, Panthers, and Kraken, including a sparkling .931 mark over his first 32 NHL appearances in Florida.
NEWS: The Vancouver Canucks have signed G Chris Driedger to a professional try-out (PTO).#NHL #Canucks
— Around The Horn Hockey (@ATHornHockey) August 27, 2026
(📷: Maksim Konstantinov) pic.twitter.com/91TiCYEFHM
A third-round pick of Ottawa back in 2012, Driedger now gets a fresh chance to prove that early NHL success wasn't a fluke, competing with Tolopilo for a roster spot as Vancouver heads into a pivotal season under new head coach Manny Malhotra.
