Vancouver Canucks
Most teams around the league already have their goaltending tandem locked up for next season. If injuries did not exist, there are not many teams that would need DeSmith on their roster, as they already have a couple of NHL veterans under contract.
Many of them will be happy to use the pair of goalies they have and would not see DeSmith as being a big enough upgrade to bother trading an asset for him. The Vancouver Canucks however, could use a better backup goaltender right now.
They have Thatcher Demko under contract and he will be their starting goaltender in 2023-24. Spencer Martin is also under contract and will be their backup, but he did not give them much of a chance to win when he played last season. The team went 11-15-1 in Martin’s starts and he had a goals-against-average of 3.99 with a save percentage of .871.
Of the 79 goaltenders to play ten or more games last season, only two had a worse GAA than Martin and only one had a lower SV%. DeSmith had a .905 SV% which ranked 33rd and his 3.18 GAA was 48th in the NHL. He would not be a player that pushes for a number one role, but the Canucks don’t need that while they have Demko.
The Canucks may not be a playoff lock, but they did add some defenders recently, such as Carson Soucy, Filip Hronek and Ian Cole and hope to be better defensively and closer to the playoff race. Adding a better number two goaltender would help in that regard as well.
Don’t be surprised to see the Canucks trade a 5th round pick to the Canadiens for DeSmith to give them a realiable veteran backup.