Observer: Shilov will be useful for the Canucks when the backup goaltender needs to play as the number one

Arthur Shilov | Photo: Guntis Lazdāns / LHF

Thomas Drens, journalist of the North American media “The Athletic” and analyst of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL) shared opinion about Latvian goalkeeper Artūrs Šilov’s possibilities in the next season, as well as revealed how the performance in the world championship could affect the decisions of the “Canucks” team regarding goalkeepers.

“The more Šilov plays, the higher the attitude of the Canucks towards him as a potential NHL player or maybe even the future number one,” said the observer, pointing out the need for the Latvian goalkeeper to get as much game practice as possible next season. “The more you think about it, the more important it becomes that Shilov should play at least 50 matches next season, regardless of what level he plays. The fact that he plays is almost the most important thing. It’s better for him to start in the AHL than to become an NHL backup.”

“That’s what I think it does for the Canucks. “One thing that’s great about Shilov’s growth as a potential option at the NHL level is that he’s a goaltender who follows the game and looks like he’s capable of making plays at the NHL level,” says the expert. “And what makes you think that is not only his performance in the World Championships, but also his performance in the AHL.”

“Shilov has one advantage – he can play in both the AHL and the NHL without any problems,” Drens continued. “And the Canucks are now an affiliate of the AHL team in local Abbotsford. They don’t have the money to spend on a backup goaltender and can’t afford to bring in a seasoned veteran [otrā vārtsarga lomai]. Thatcher Demko has been known to be injured in both of his seasons as the Canucks’ starting goaltender, so a moderate amount of games will be in the team’s best interest. Especially if you want him to be hot in the playoffs, you need him to play less than 60 games in the regular season.”

“How do you get a goaltender who can play 25 games at the NHL level with a league average save percentage if you’re not willing to spend money on a backup goaltender?” a rhetorical question is asked by the reviewer, pointing to Shilova. “You can consider the strategy the Carolina Hurricanes used with Piotr Kochetkov – he played about 25 games in both the NHL and AHL last season. So he was kind of the starting goaltender in the AHL, but when Frederik Andersen got hurt, they called Kochetkov up to the NHL and gave him a chance.”

“With a player like Shilov, given his status, the Canucks can easily call him up when playing at home and give him a chance to play in the NHL. For example, in “back-to-back” or similar situations. If Demko gets injured, they could turn to Shilov, but when going away, Spencer Martin could go with the team as a backup goalkeeper,” the expert believes.

The Canucks can use Shilov not as a backup, but as a two-way goaltender. He will share backup duties with Spencer Martin, but in a situation where Demko gets injured, he will probably become the first goalkeeper,” Drens outlines the next season. “Shilov will be useful in a situation where the Canucks need a backup goaltender to play as the number one in the 3-4 week cutoff. At the same time, he can be the team’s number one in Abbotsford [fārmklubā]. I think he can handle both roles effectively and that’s what I would do if I were in the Canucks organization.

“Shilow’s performance at the World Cup should give the Canucks a lot more confidence and options when building a backup goalie position between Shilow and Spencer Martin.”