Thatcher Demko Addresses His Future With The Canucks After Being Pushed Aside For Kevin Lankinen

The Vancouver Canucks have to go back to the drawing board after missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year.

Among the multiple distractions that made things increasingly difficult for them was the status of goaltender Thatcher Demko, who was mostly unavailable and missed the first several weeks of the year.

Because they lacked confidence in Arturs Silovs, the Canucks signed goaltender Kevin Lankinen to a 1-year contract; his surprising performance helped him eventually land a 5-year extension to keep him in Vancouver for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, Demko has no plans on going anywhere and said that despite Lankinen's multi-year extension, it doesn't change his own commitment to the team.

It echoes what he had to say about Lankinen's extension shortly after it was signed in March in which he said that every penny was deserved .

Demko is set to enter the last year of his 5-year deal that carries an AAV (average annual value) of $5 million. While his numbers alone would have meant he's in line for a considerable raise, there are understandably concerns about his ability to stay healthy.

He finished this year appearing in only 23 games, going 10-8-3 with a subpar 2.90 GAA and .889 SV%.