PuckSleuth
Thatcher Demko35

Vancouver Canucks · Goalie · Catches L

Thatcher Demko

Age 30 · 6'4" · 192 lb · Born in San Diego, USA

Cap hit

$8.5M

8.2% of $104M cap

Term

3 yrs

Through 2028-29, then UFA

Clause

None

Surplus value

−$2.026M

vs. $6.474M market estimate

Confirmed by the public signing announcement · source

2025-26 regular season

GP

20

20 starts

Record

8-10-1

SV%

.897

GAA

2.90

Shots against

514

GSAx

+3.9

goals saved above expected

Game Score

+0.19

per game

Game log

Last 5 games · NHL API

GameDecSASVGASV%TOIxGAGSAxHD savesGS
Jan 10@ TOR · L 5-0L633.50020:000.70-2.300/0-2.30
Jan 6@ BUF · L 5-3L19154.78958:512.40-1.602/6-1.60
Jan 2vs SEA · OTL 4-3OTL28253.89365:002.49-0.512/3-0.51
Dec 30vs PHI · L 6-3L31274.87158:462.74-1.263/4-1.26
Dec 27vs SJS · L 6-3L36325.88959:565.23+0.234/7+0.23

Dec = decision (W, L, OTL; ND = started, no decision). HD saves = high-danger shots on goal stopped. GS = our Game Score.

Advanced metrics

2025-26 · 20 GP · 1,116 min · percentile vs. NHL goalies

SV%.897

56th percentile

GSAx+3.9

60th percentile

GSAx/60+0.21

70th percentile

HDSV%.707

39th percentile

HD GSAx-0.7

47th percentile

5v5 GSAx+2.3

61st percentile

EV SV%.908

61st percentile

Quality start %50.0%

34th percentile

Really bad start %20.0%

60th percentile

xGA/603.11

77th percentile

Expected goals come from our own model and rate every unblocked shot he faced by its chance of going in. High-danger shots are those worth 0.15 expected goals or more. Percentiles compare him with goalies who played 600 minutes that season. xGA/60 shows how hard his workload was, so its bar is grey.

Play styleRoutine-save specialist

Trait percentiles vs. NHL goalies · 2025-26

Demko's numbers show a part-time goalie who stops the lower-danger shots very well and has been strong at 5-on-5, with +3.9 goals saved above expected. He is held back by giving up quick follow-up shots and by having fewer quality starts than most goalies.

Routine savesStrong at 5-on-5Rebound troublePart-time roleUneven nights
High-danger saves
49
Routine saves
86
Rebound control
29
5-on-5 saves
74
PK saves
41
Consistency
34
Workload
14

Strengths

  • Routine saves rank in the 86th percentile, well above most NHL goalies.
  • 5-on-5 saves sit at the 74th percentile for goals saved above expected.
  • High-danger saves are average at the 49th percentile, with a .707 save % on 82 shots.

Watch-outs

  • Rebound control is at the 29th percentile, so more quick shots follow his saves.
  • Consistency is at the 34th percentile, with quality starts in just 50% of his starts.
  • PK saves are average at the 41st percentile.

Similar style: Stuart Skinner (WPG), Karel Vejmelka (UTA)

Built from play-by-play and our expected goals model, compared with goalies who have 600+ minutes in the season.

Career stats

From the NHL's player records

SeasonTeamGPGSWLOTLSV%GAASOSAGAGSAx
2017-18Vancouver Canucks11100.8673.910304—
2018-19Vancouver Canucks98431.9132.81028825—
2019-20Vancouver Canucks272513102.9053.06082278—
2020-21Vancouver Canucks353516181.9152.851116499—
2021-22Vancouver Canucks646133227.9152.7211967168—
2022-23Vancouver Canucks323214144.9013.161100599-7
2023-24Vancouver Canucks515135142.9182.4551492123+11.6
2024-25Vancouver Canucks23231083.8892.90156963+1.7
2025-26Vancouver Canucks20208101.8972.90151454+3.9
Career9 seasons2622561349921.9092.81107851713

Seasons traded mid-year show one row per team. GSAx (goals saved above expected) is ours, from our expected goals model.

Latest news

Headlines from news outlets and team blogs

No news about him in the last 30 days.

Sentiment & chatter

Fans

—

Beat writers

—

Media

—

Fan, beat writer, and media scores, the 14-day trade chatter chart, and the latest mentions appear once sentiment scoring is switched on. Mentions are already being collected.

Recent Game Scores

Last 10 games · goals above average

Average +0.00 per game over these 10.

Where his Game Score comes from

+0.19 per game

2025-26 · 20 GP

Season total +3.9, or +0.19 per game.

Goaltending
+3.9

Game Score gives credit for everything a player does in a game. Goals (1.0) and assists (0.7 primary, 0.5 secondary) count most; shots, blocks, hits, takeaways, penalties drawn, faceoff wins, killing penalties, and holding down the other team's chances add to it. Only mistakes subtract: goals against at 5-on-5, giveaways, penalties taken, faceoff losses, and allowing more chances than an average player would. A player who is there to defend or kill penalties is not marked down for not scoring. Goalies are measured by goals saved above expected.

Usage

Last game: vs CGY, Oct 3

Did not start last game (Leevi Meriläinen did).

From the NHL's shift chart.

Age curve

At 30: 100% of peak

NHL goalies · production index

202937

At 30, goalies typically produce 100% of their peak (age 26). His contract runs through age 32, when the typical level is 100%.

From 24 seasons of NHL results, adjusted for league scoring and save percentage in each era. Shaded bars are the seasons left on his contract.

Contract by season

3 seasons left

SeasonTeamCap hit% of cap
2026-27VAN$8.5M8.2%
2027-28VAN$8.5M7.5%
2028-29VAN$8.5M—

UFA after 2028-29. $25.5M in cap hits left. % of cap uses each season's ceiling where the league has set one ($104M this season, $113.5M in 2027-28).