Any interest in Thatcher Demko?

[dudacek]

Elliotte Freidman on today's Marek show said Demko is someone the Canucks are also open to trading as they continue to retool.

He mentioned the Penguins, Kings and Sabres as three teams that make sense as destinations.

Thoughts?

In my opinion he is one of the better young goalies in the league and had this option been on the table in the summer, i would have been all over it.

Since then, we started winning and growing more comfortable with the idea of UPL as #1, and Demko has played poorly, got hurt and has quietly been identified as being unhappy in Vancouver.

I'm definitely at least making the call.

He's 27 and was with the USNDTP around the same time as Donnie, although I don't know if he played for him. He's signed three more years at a $5 million cap hit.

https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=146146

 

[MattPie]

7 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Elliotte Freidman on today's Marek show said Demko is someone the Canucks are also open to trading as they continue to retool.

He mentioned the Penguins, Kings and Sabres as three teams that make sense as destinations.

Thoughts?

In my opinion he is one of the better young goalies in the league and had this option been on the table in the summer, i would have been all over it.

Since then, we started winning and growing more comfortable with the idea of UPL as #1, and Demko has played poorly, got hurt and has quietly been identified as being unhappy in Vancouver.

I'm definitely at least making the call.

He's 27 and was with the USNDTP around the same time as Donnie, although I don't know if he played for him. He's signed three more years at a $5 million cap hit.

https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=146146

 

Interesting, I'd make a call and see too. It seems like that might be one too many G in the kitchen next year, with UPL, Comrie, Levi (?), but until you find one that's a legit NHL guy I think you keep looking. Being 27, I assume it'd have to be Comrie and Demko on the Sabres, with Levi and UPL in Rochester given the waiver situation.

[Porous Five Hole]

If UPL hadn’t gone 12-4 in his last 16 games and was still in ROC, I would have thought this could have made a lot of sense.  It is a nice bridge timeline to Levi (it would give Devon one year in ROC, one year as an NHL 1B, and hopefully year three as 1A). 
 

But I just don’t see the Sabres putting UPL back in ROC.  So the fit isn’t perfect and I would have to pass. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Haven’t we beaten this horse? Why would KA block UPL now that UPL is playing at an NHL level.  
 

A few months ago with Comrie hurt and UPL playing poorly in Rochester, the odds would have been much better.  Now I’d say forget it.  

Meier is much more likely.

[Taro T]

15 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Elliotte Freidman on today's Marek show said Demko is someone the Canucks are also open to trading as they continue to retool.

He mentioned the Penguins, Kings and Sabres as three teams that make sense as destinations.

Thoughts?

In my opinion he is one of the better young goalies in the league and had this option been on the table in the summer, i would have been all over it.

Since then, we started winning and growing more comfortable with the idea of UPL as #1, and Demko has played poorly, got hurt and has quietly been identified as being unhappy in Vancouver.

I'm definitely at least making the call.

He's 27 and was with the USNDTP around the same time as Donnie, although I don't know if he played for him. He's signed three more years at a $5 million cap hit.

https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=146146

 

Would like to have Adams inquire about it.

But at the end of the day it comes down IMHO how much of an upgrade over Comtie do they consider him to be & is the difference between the 2 worth the difference in what you'd pay to get him & what you'd get back in a trade of Comrie.

And remember, they (management & the players) like Comrie.  He & Power were the 2 interviewees at the 1st Blue & Gold Insights this year.  They don't usually ask guys they're about to jettison to sit through an hour long Q&A w/ the fans.  Though will admit, nothing is static & if the team can be improved Adams should be interested.

At the end of the day it is still a business.

[Sabres73]

As a Vancouver resident I can tell you Demko has been awful this year, fallen right off a cliff. I wouldn't even make the phone call.

 

[Marvin]

20 minutes ago, Taro T said:

Would like to have Adams inquire about it.

But at the end of the day it comes down IMHO how much of an upgrade over Comtie do they consider him to be & is the difference between the 2 worth the difference in what you'd pay to get him & what you'd get back in a trade of Comrie.

And remember, they (management & the players) like Comrie.  He & Power were the 2 interviewees at the 1st Blue & Gold Insights this year.  They don't usually ask guys they're about to jettison to sit through an hour long Q&A w/ the fans.  Though will admit, nothing is static & if the team can be improved Adams should be interested.

At the end of the day it is still a business.

Demko has not been good this year.  Vancouver rightly views his performance as an aberration and have priced him accordingly.

[dudacek]

36 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Haven’t we beaten this horse? Why would KA block UPL now that UPL is playing at an NHL level.  
 

I don’t think we have. Previous talk was about getting a generic goalie and the comeback was “who has been available, fits our window and wants to be here?”

To my mind, Demko is the first goalie who fits. He’s of the right age, is under contract for 3 years at an acceptable price and has proven himself to a much greater degree than the Comries and the Vaneceks and the Hussos that were available in the summer. 

The blocking question comes down to: “who does Adams believe is going to be a better asset for the Sabres as their window opens?” We know he had no issues bringing Matt Murray (or some suggest John Gibson) ahead of UPL this year. I would imagine the same logic would apply to Demko, unless the past 2 months has convinced him UPL is the guy.

Do we believe those concerns from the fall have vanished and UPL is going to be “the guy”, at least until Levi forces his way in?

If Demko was coming in, I would suspect UPL or Comrie would be going back.

Edited January 31, 2023 by dudacek

[PromoTheRobot]

Do we need another goalie?

[dudacek]

4 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Do we need a better goalie?

i think my edit is the more pertinent question.

3 months ago, most of you would have said “yes”.

There’s no doubt that prior to this year Demko has been better than what we have.

Edited January 31, 2023 by dudacek

[PromoTheRobot]

1 minute ago, dudacek said:

i think my edit is the more pertinent question.

3 months ago, most of you would have said “yes”.

There’s no doubt that prior to this year Demko has been better than what we have.

Has been.  I like who we have now and who's coming up. Why spend assets on what you already have?

[LGR4GM]

UPL, last 10 games:

.909 sv% 7-3 record

[GASabresIUFAN]

15 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I don’t think we have. Previous talk was about getting a generic goalie and the comeback was “who has been available, fits our window and wants to be here?”

To my mind, Demko is the first goalie who fits. He’s of the right age, is under contract for 3 years at an acceptable price and has proven himself to a much greater degree than the Comries and the Vaneceks and the Hussos that were available in the summer. 

The blocking question comes down to: “who does Adams believe is going to be a better asset for the Sabres as their window opens?” We know he had no issues bringing Matt Murray (or some suggest John Gibson) ahead of UPL this year. I would imagine the same logic would apply to Demko, unless the past 2 months has convinced him UPL is the guy.

Do we believe those concerns from the fall have vanished and UPL is going to be “the guy”, at least until Levi forces his way in?

If Demko was coming in, I would suspect UPL or Comrie would be going back.

This sounds more like something for KA to look at in the off-season after Andy is gone and KA has had the remainder of the season to evaluate UPL.

FYI:

 

Edited January 31, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, MattPie said:

Interesting, I'd make a call and see too. It seems like that might be one too many G in the kitchen next year, with UPL, Comrie, Levi (?), but until you find one that's a legit NHL guy I think you keep looking. Being 27, I assume it'd have to be Comrie and Demko on the Sabres, with Levi and UPL in Rochester given the waiver situation.

I think if they acquire Demko, Comrie is going back in the trade.

28 minutes ago, Sabres73 said:

As a Vancouver resident I can tell you Demko has been awful this year, fallen right off a cliff. I wouldn't even make the phone call.

...or not.

[Brawndo]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

Elliotte Freidman on today's Marek show said Demko is someone the Canucks are also open to trading as they continue to retool.

He mentioned the Penguins, Kings and Sabres as three teams that make sense as destinations.

Thoughts?

In my opinion he is one of the better young goalies in the league and had this option been on the table in the summer, i would have been all over it.

Since then, we started winning and growing more comfortable with the idea of UPL as #1, and Demko has played poorly, got hurt and has quietly been identified as being unhappy in Vancouver.

I'm definitely at least making the call.

He's 27 and was with the USNDTP around the same time as Donnie, although I don't know if he played for him. He's signed three more years at a $5 million cap hit.

https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=146146

 

Missed each other by a year at the USNTDP, it looks like 

[Doohicksie]

5 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

This sounds more like something for KA to look at in the off-season

Except if they think Demko in particular is someone they want to target, he's available now and likely won't be this summer.

1 minute ago, Brawndo said:

Missed each other by a year at the USNTDP, it looks like 

I'm sure Donny knows people who know him.

[Contempt]

I don't know how I feel about this. If Vancouver is moving Demko you'd think they'd want a goalie back but I don't think Comrie moves anyone's needle. That means UPL, Levi, or Portillo. I dont think Portillo has much value right now at all so it comes down to UPL or Levi. If Vancouver is blowing it up, as they seem to be, Levi is more in their timeframe than Buffalo's who are ready to need a goalie today. So that makes this sort of trade a choice between UPL and Levi. Levi is a bag of magic beans that may or may not ever grow into anything. He's also short and the list of great, short, goalies in the modern NHL is very...short. UPL is starting to show his value but he's still very much unproven and not a given. Call him a sprouted magic bean. One that could root or just as easily wither.

Making this trade would either give them Demko, Comrie and Anderson or Demko, UPL, Comrie and Anderson with another move or two to be made. The Sabres would probably prefer to move Comrie in this scenario but as I said, I don't think he jingles Vancouver's bells unless he's the throw in along with something else major. 

I also dont see them moving UPL for this year's version of Demko who would then need to immediately be much better than he has.

Basically, I don't think this is a trade that gets made because I don't think it makes as much sense as the TV guys want it to make.

[Scottysabres]

Good God no......run, run away from this idea

[GASabresIUFAN]

15 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

Except if they think Demko in particular is someone they want to target, he's available now and likely won't be this summer.

I'm sure Donny knows people who know him.

If he is an available now, he’ll be available in the summer. From Van‘s standpoint, a summer deal is more likely as there will be more suitors with cap space to take on his $5 mil annual cap hit.  

I think t Meier situation is also more likely a summer deal for the same reason.  

Neither Van or SJ have to move these players.  Meier is more urgent because of the size of his Q Offer as an RFA, but it’s still not a necessity.  Both teams can afford to be patient to see if they get their price.

[dudacek]

I don’t know what went wrong this year, but he was a fantastic goalie on a bad team each of the 3 years prior.

He thrived despite all the high-danger chances the Canucks gave up. And, in my view, disguised a lot of their issues that have been exposed this year.

He’s just 27

32 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

UPL, last 10 games:

.909 sv% 7-3 record

And Demko put up better numbers over 3 seasons on a worse team.

To my way of thinking, not interested because UPL is like saying not interested in Meier because Quinn and Peterka.

But I guess I am a lot higher than on Demko than most appear to be here. I think over the next 5 years he is a good bet to be among the top 10 goalies.

Edited January 31, 2023 by dudacek

[GASabresIUFAN]

7 minutes ago, dudacek said:

To my way of thinking, not interested because UPL is like saying not interested in Meier because Quinn and Peterka.

I think Meier would be an upgrade over Olofsson or Mitts.  I think JJP and Quinn are off the table. 

 

 

[msw2112]

I realize that goal scorers can be streaky, but I don't think the Sabres should move on from Olofsson.  He's been a good goal scorer for a number of years and this year he is taking it to the next level.  He's no longer a one-trick pony, scoring goals on a one-timer on the right wall on the PP.  He's scoring 5 on 5, he's finishing 2 on 1's, scoring in OT, on breakaways, etc.  You don't trade pure goal scorers.  There just aren't too many of them.  Mitts is playing much better hockey of late and I like what he brings to the table too.  He's still young with a draft pedigree.  I'd like to keep him too, but I understand that to acquire something of value, you have to give up something of value.  I'd be more willing to trade Mittlestadt (+ draft picks), although I believe he has less value on the trade market than Olofsson.

[Porous Five Hole]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

I don’t know what went wrong this year, but he was a fantastic goalie on a bad team each of the 3 years prior.

He thrived despite all the high-danger chances the Canucks gave up. And, in my view, disguised a lot of their issues that have been exposed this year.

He’s just 27

And Demko put up better numbers over 3 seasons on a worse team.

To my way of thinking, not interested because UPL is like saying not interested in Meier because Quinn and Peterka.

But I guess I am a lot higher than on Demko than most appear to be here. I think over the next 5 years he is a good bet to be among the top 10 goalies.

I’ll admit that I haven’t watched the Nucks at all. So it’s all recency bias for me. 

Any idea why it all fell apart this year? 

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

UPL, last 10 games:

.909 sv% 7-3 record

Demko’s career sv% is .909 in 145 starts. 
 

 

[TageMVP]

None 

[dudacek]

Are people convinced UPL is the answer moving forward?