Success for the Vancouver Canucks: Contract Extension with Goalie Talent Artūrs Šilovs

The Vancouver Canucks announced on Tuesday that they have agreed to a two-year contract with the promising young goaltender Artūrs Šilovs. The contract is expected to have an average annual value of $850,000, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. The Athletic has been reporting for weeks that the Canucks were working to secure Šilovs on a two-year agreement. This approach aligns with the organization's philosophy for second contracts of promising young players who have not yet established themselves as regular NHL players. In recent years, defenseman Jack Rathbone and wingers Nils Höglander and Vasili Podkolzin have also received similar two-year deals. Šilovs had a mixed 2023-2024 season in the American League but is considered a crown jewel in the Canucks' goaltender development. During his NHL appearances, he demonstrated that he was up to the task. Šilovs particularly shone in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs when he stepped in as the starting goaltender for the Canucks, relieving both Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith. His remarkable playoff run culminated in a legendary shutout in Game 6, where Šilovs outperformed multiple Vezina Trophy nominee Juuse Saros, leading the Canucks to a first-round victory against the Nashville Predators. "Artūrs helped us significantly last year when he was needed, and we expect him to compete for a permanent roster spot in training camp," said General Manager Patrik Allvin upon signing the contract. "Our team will continue to work with him to hone his skills and provide all necessary tools to help him take the next step in his young career." Although Šilovs is an explosive athlete with solid fundamentals and a certain calmness in the net, his lack of NHL experience occasionally showed during the Canucks’ last playoff run. He struggled in the second round against the Edmonton Oilers when they began firing shots through layered traffic. More NHL-level appearances seem necessary for Šilovs to make the next developmental step. Since the 23-year-old Latvian goaltender appears to have legitimate starting potential, the club must also be mindful of maximizing his overall workload. Šilovs is striving for a full-time position as an NHL goaltender and has demonstrated that he might have an edge over the interesting new signee Jiří Patera in the battle for the backup job in Vancouver in the coming season. However, his waiver-free status is an aspect to watch. It is relatively rare for a goaltender trusted by an NHL team to start games to be waiver-free. This potential could enable the Canucks’ management to improve their goaltender depth while simultaneously providing Patera an advantage in the training camp battle for the backup position, which will take place this September in Penticton, B.C.