The Flyers are reportedly interested in acquiring a starting goaltender with Vancouver Thatcher Demko being a potential lead option
The Philadelphia Flyers are making noise ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft as reports swirl that the team is aggressively pursuing a starting goaltender. After a rocky season in net, Philadelphia is looking for more stability at the position with some mentioning a blockbuster trade could happen with the Vancouver Canucks centered around All-Star goaltender Thatcher Demko.
According to league insiders, Vancouver is willing to listen to offers on Demko, who remains under contract through the 2025–26 season at a $5 million cap hit. The 29-year-old is coming off an injury-plagued season, where he posted a 10-8-3 record with a 2.90 goals against average. Prior to that, Demko proved to be one of the most elite players at the position after finishing with a 35-14-2 record and a 2.45 goals against average during the 2023-24 season and earning himself a finalist spot for the Vezina trophy.
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Demko appeared to be a solid franchise goaltender that Vancouver would be able to keep for a decade or more and never have to worry about the position but injuries have started to pile up and a pair of goaltenders have taken advantage.
Canucks starter last season, Kevin Lankinen was dominant with a 25-15-10 record and a 2.62 goals against average that secured himself a spot on Finland's Four Nations team last February. He signed a five-year extension with a full no-move clause that firmly places him in the driver seat for the starting job moving forward.
Top prospect Artūrs Šilovs is also waiting in the wings and when given the chance to play, he's made the most of his time, including a run with the Canucks where Šilovs had to take over for an injuried Demko during the 2023-24 postseason and almost helped his team past the eventual Conference champion Edmonton Oilers. Šilovs has throughly dominated the AHL with a 56-28-13 record over the last three seasons and should be ready to take the leap to the main roster.
Canucks winger Brock Boeser is reportedly heading for free agency, meaning Vancouver will need to replace a key top-six forward that played a lot of minutes, including the most power play minutes for a forward on the team.
Philadelphia, who went 33-39-10 and finished last in the Metropolitan division this past season with goaltending being their achilles heel. The Flyers' forward group is loaded with talent and could see a top end winger like Travis Konecny get dealt in a move for Demko, as his point production is similar to Boeser's. A deal could give the Canucks the scoring depth they’ll need with Boeser’s departure imminent while allowing Lankinen and Šilovs to transition into the starter role.
Vancouver finished the regular season with a 38-30-14 record and narrowly missed the playoffs. While losing Demko would be a gamble, the Canucks appear confident in their goaltending depth and are looking to retool their offence and stay competitive quickly.
Betting Impact
From a futures betting standpoint, a trade of this magnitude could shake up both teams’ outlooks. Philadelphia’s current Stanley Cup odds sit around +8000 on FanDuel sportsbook, but acquiring Demko could cause that line to shorten dramatically, possibly into the +4000 to +4500 range, depending on the return package. His stability in net could immediately elevate Philly to a wild-card contender in the Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile, the Canucks, who are currently listed at +5000 to win the Cup could see a slight dip if they lose Demko, unless Silovs proves capable of handling a full-time role. However, if they secure a top-tier scoring forward in the deal, bettors may find value in their odds holding or even improving if the offense becomes more dynamic.
We will have to stay tuned as both teams weigh a franchise-altering decision that could swing the balance of power in both conferences and the betting markets with it.
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