From Riga to the Big Leagues: The Rise of Canucks Goaltender Arturs Silovs

March 9th, 2023

Alex Rickman

When Arturs Silovs was called up to the NHL on February 14th, it was met with a mixed reception by those in the Canucks fan base. The 21-year-old Latvian netminder is thought of quite highly as a prospect within the organization, and with the story of Mikey DiPietro’s botched development still fresh in the minds of Canucks fans, it’s easy to see why many were worried that they could be rushing Silovs into action before he was ready. However, through 5 games of NHL action, Silovs has more than proven why the team believed in him, and he may even be making a case to take the reigns as the backup goalie in the NHL next year. Let’s take a look into the situation that led to Silovs being given his shot in the NHL, and what he’s been doing to show what a promising future he may have in the league.

To say the goaltending situation in Vancouver has been rough this year is an understatement. After Thatcher Demko’s rocky start and injury, Collin Delia and Spencer Martin took the reins in net. While with the Canucks weak defence they weren’t set up for much success, it was abundantly clear that they wouldn’t be enough for any NHL team to have in net, and just before Demko was set to return from his injury, Spencer Martin was placed on waivers and replaced by Silovs. Initially, there was some confusion with this move, but when Silovs was announced as the Canucks starter ahead of the game on February 15th against the New York Rangers, many in Vancouver were concerned about the impact this would have on his development. The Rangers are one of the best teams in the league, and a blowout loss could hurt Silovs’ confidence.

 During the first period of that game, it seemed like those fans' fears had been realized, with Mika Zibanejab scoring one and Artemi Panarin adding a pair of his own to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead going into the first intermission. However, throughout the game, Silovs showed that he has no quit in him, making some impressive saves and not letting the poor start to the game bring him down. While the Canucks would eventually lose this game 6-4, Silovs showed some impressive mental toughness and earned a chance to start the Canucks next game 3 days later against the Flyers. This time around, Silovs proved why he had been given an NHL opportunity, posting a .946 save percentage en route to his first NHL win.

Since that game, Silovs hasn’t looked back, putting up 3 impressive performances against St Louis, Boston, and Nashville, and a 2-1 record to go along with it. While it is likely that Silovs will return to the AHL soon to get more game time for Abbotsford as they prepare for their postseason, Silovs has left a great impression on the organization and fans alike in Vancouver. In his 5 games, Silovs has posted team-leading numbers in save percentage (SV%), goals saved above expected per 60 (GSAx60), and goals against average (GAA), with several important pieces on the Canucks already poor defence missing for some or all of these games. It’s been a small sample size, but the eye test and the stats agree that Silovs has done far better than anyone thought he would. 

With how well Silovs has done in Vancouver so far, questions must be asked about where he will be playing next year. I believe another year as a starter in the AHL may be good for his development, as it would enable him to get more game time. However, he has clearly shown an ability to hang around at the NHL level, so the possibility is there that he could spend next year in the NHL backing up Thatcher Demko. A third option, however, could be something similar to what the organization did for Thatcher Demko’s first season in the NHL, where he started the season with the Utica Comets but was eventually called up to replace Anders Nilsson, who was dealt to make room for Demko on the roster. If this is the route they choose to go, someone like Collin Delia could start the year backing up Demko and, once they determine Silovs is ready to take on the role, goes on waivers to switch places with the young Latvian.

Time will tell which way the Canucks choose to go with Silovs, but it’s good to see a prospect with the talent of Silovs in the Canucks system. With Thatcher Demko’s resurgence in his return from injury and the performance of Silovs in his NHL stint, the Canucks are in good hands between the pipes for the foreseeable future.