Veteran goalie Chris Driedger signs a PTO with Canadian NHL team

The Vancouver Canucks are heading into training camp with some real question marks between the pipes, and general manager Ryan Johnson is making sure the organization isn't caught flat-footed. With Thatcher Demko's availability for opening night still very much up in the air, the club made a move on Thursday to add some experienced depth to its goaltending group.

Vancouver announced that it has signed veteran netminder Chris Driedger to a professional tryout agreement, giving the 32-year-old Winnipeg native a legitimate shot at earning his way back onto an NHL roster.

Driedger's Winding Road Back to the NHL

Driedger spent the 2025-26 season overseas with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL, where he went 8-9-2 with a .897 save percentage and a 3.05 goals-against average across 23 appearances. It wasn't exactly a lights-out campaign, but the fact that he was playing competitive professional hockey at a high level keeps him in the conversation for NHL teams looking for insurance.

Before heading to Russia, Driedger spent the 2024-25 season bouncing around the AHL, suiting up for both the Charlotte Checkers and the Manitoba Moose. His last NHL action came during the 2023-24 season when he dressed in two games for the Seattle Kraken. Originally drafted by the Ottawa Senators with the 76th overall pick back in 2012, the six-foot-four netminder has compiled a solid 31-24-5 record over 67 career NHL games with Ottawa, Florida, and Seattle, carrying a respectable .917 save percentage and five shutouts at the top level. He has also been a workhorse in the AHL, amassing 217 games with a 106-78-24 record and a .910 save percentage across six different affiliates.

The PTO gives Driedger a chance to compete for a roster spot behind Demko and Kevin Lankinen. But the real intrigue here is what this move signals about Demko's health.

Demko's Uncertain Timeline and Vancouver's Goaltending Strategy

Johnson was notably noncommittal when asked whether Demko would be ready for the start of the regular season. The 30-year-old underwent hip surgery back in January after being limited to just 20 games last season, during which he posted an 8-10-1 record with an .897 save percentage and a 2.90 GAA. That came on the heels of a 2024-25 campaign where he managed only 23 games.

It feels like a lifetime ago that Demko was one of the best goalies on the planet. In his last fully healthy season in 2023-24, he earned All-Star honors and finished as the runner-up in Vezina Trophy voting, putting up a .918 save percentage and 2.45 GAA over 51 starts. Vancouver clearly believes that version of Demko can return, but they are not about to rush the process.

"I've said all along with Thatcher, we've never really been operating on timelines," Johnson told the Vancouver Province. "When you come this far with something, why not make sure you take the last final steps? He's had a great summer physically and mentally."

Reports indicate that Demko has been skating since late June and spent the summer rehabbing in Vancouver under the team's training staff. Still, Johnson made it clear the organization is preparing for any scenario. "We're ready for anything," he said. "I've got to make sure, as an organization, we're covered and prepared for whatever timeline's needed to allow him to not just get back, but make sure it's sustainable."

Carrying three goaltenders into the regular season is a real possibility, especially since projected third-stringer Nikita Tolopilo would need to clear waivers. Having Driedger in camp gives the Canucks the flexibility to place Tolopilo on waivers early, when teams are least likely to make a claim, while still maintaining experienced goaltending depth.

Vancouver also announced the hiring of Sean Finn as an amateur scout. Finn, a Kitimat, B.C., native, brings seven years of experience working with KHL organizations, a particularly interesting addition given the strength of the Russian talent pool heading into the 2027 NHL Draft.

The Canucks open their preseason on September 19 against the Seattle Kraken before kicking off the regular season on September 29 in Edmonton. By then, we should have a much clearer picture of where Demko stands and whether Driedger has done enough to stick around.