Vancouver Canucks fans will likely be seeing a lot more of Artūrs Šilovs in the next few years.
The 23-year-old Latvian rookie went from a virtual unknown leading the netminding crew with the team’s Abbotsford AHL affiliate to the biggest stage in hockey when he was asked to step in and backstop the Canucks through the majority of two rounds of the 2024 playoffs.
On Tuesday, that effort paid off as the Canucks agreed to terms on a two-year contract, though there’s no guarantee he will be a mainstay of the NHL squad’s starting lineup.
“Artūrs helped us out a lot when called upon last year as he continues to grow and develop as a goalie,” Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said in a media release.
“We expect him to come into training camp and battle for a full-time position with the big club. Our group will continue to work with him to help sharpen his skills and provide him with all the tools necessary to take another step forward in his young career.”
The two-year deal comes with a cap hit of just $850,000 per year, according to NHL insider Frank Seravalli with the Daily Faceoff.
Šilovs played 34 regular season games with the Abbotsford Canucks in the 2023/2024 season, where he went 16-11-6 with a 2.74 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage.
He played another four regular season games with the NHL Canucks before injuries to all-star starter Thatcher Demko and backup goalie Casey DeSmith thrust him into the spotlight midway through Round 1 of the playoffs.
Over the following 10 games, he went 5-5 with a 2.91 goals against average and an .898 save percentage, helping the Canucks to Game 7 of the second round while facing down foes including Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
The Canucks will kick off training camp in Penticton on Sept. 19.
They’ll play their home opener against the Calgary Flames on Oct. 6.