If you're thinking the Vancouver Canucks have a goalie issue heading into the 2025-26 season, consider looking at the recent plight of the Dallas Stars. The way the NHL playoffs wrapped up for them might offer some perspective.
The Stars began with Jake Oettinger, their go-to guy between the pipes, who went from being their rock to being pulled from the net. It could be argued it wasn't entirely his doing, yet the narrative unfolded much like it had for the Canucks just the previous year. The Stars, much like Vancouver before them, were stopped in their tracks by the Edmonton Oilers during the Western Conference Final.
Interestingly, there was a familiar face in this tale. One of the former Canucks goalies, who had faced defeat against the Oilers with Vancouver, found himself on the Stars' bench this time around. Without much say, he found himself thrown into the mix.
In the crucial Game 5 on Thursday night, after Oettinger conceded two goals on the first two shots, head coach Pete DeBoer made the swift and controversial decision to pull him. Into the spotlight stepped Casey DeSmith, who was once the backup goalie for the Canucks. DeSmith, however, faced his own struggles, letting in a third Oilers goal less than a minute after joining the fray in a game where the Oilers would score six in total.
By game's end, DeSmith had surrendered three goals on 20 shots. Many fans were left questioning DeBoer's decision to remove Oettinger so early.
According to Moneypuck, DeSmith allowed 0.99 goals above expected, while Oettinger allowed 0.9 goals above expected in just over seven minutes of ice time.
For Canucks fans, DeSmith's playoff performance might ring a bell. He had a rollercoaster experience with Vancouver last season.
The 33-year-old had a tough playoff start against the Nashville Predators, allowing three goals on 15 shots before bouncing back with a strong 29-save performance in Game 3. Unfortunately, his playoff journey was cut short by injury.
It was from that point onward that Arturs Silovs took center stage, as neither DeSmith nor Thatcher Demko could return in time to help the Canucks in their battle against the Oilers.
DeSmith's regular season with the Canucks saw him record an underwhelming 12-9-6 with a .896 save percentage, a 2.89 goals-against average, and one shutout. This backdrop might suggest that DeBoer and the Stars took a gamble by putting him in during such a pivotal moment, especially at the cost of benching their franchise goaltender.
