3 weakest links Vancouver Canucks should promptly get rid of ft. Thatcher Demko

It's been well documented how poorly the 2024-25 season went for the Vancouver Canucks.

Missing the playoffs one year after taking the Edmonton Oilers to a Game 7 in the second round was not on anyone's bingo card. However, that was indeed what happened, and management must now try to revamp its roster that is already looking a lot different from that 2023-24 team.

J.T. Miller was traded, head coach Rick Tocchet left, and Brock Boeser is soon to be gone. That's a lot of holes to fill, though Vancouver still has some players that they would be better off getting rid of before the 2025-26 season.

Let's dive into which three they should be looking to move on from in the coming weeks.

3 Weakest Links Vancouver Canucks Should Get Rid Of

#3 Nils Hoglander

Nils Hoglander's tenure with the Vancouver Canucks has been very up and down. The second-round pick (40th overall) from 2019 has shown promise at times, but other times he's struggled to find his place in the lineup, and the production has dipped.

The 2023-24 season, which went well for everyone, included Hoglander tallying a career-high 24 goals. That dropped back down to eight in 2024-25, and he might need a change of scenery. The 24-year-old will certainly still have value to other teams around the league, so trading him shouldn't be difficult at all.

#2 Noah Juulsen

The Vancouver Canucks have continued to re-sign depth defenseman Noah Juulsen. Rick Tocchet was a big fan of his physicality, but now that he's in Philadelphia, the Canucks need to walk away from Juulsen. He struggled quite a bit this past season, going pointless while being a -12 rating in 35 games.

Vancouver has seven capable and better defensemen already locked in for next season, which makes letting Juulsen go a pretty easy decision for Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin.

#1 Thatcher Demko

This one could be controversial, because nobody would consider Thatcher Demko a weak link, but I think it's time to move on. Signing Kevin Lankinen to a five-year contract midway through last season was an indication that this could be coming. With how well Lankinen played and Arturs Silovs looking very promising in the AHL, extending an oft-injured Demko makes no sense.

When healthy, the 29-year-old has shown the ability to be one of the best goaltenders in the world. The problem is that it is few and far between. It's unfortunate, but at this point, it's not a fluke, and it's a trend that might not get better as he ages. Combine that with the fact that Demko will want a raise on his next contract, and there's no reason for Vancouver not to shop him for the best possible return this offseason.

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Edited by Jackson Weber