The Vancouver Canucks made a surprising move last week, trading goaltender Arturs Silovs—fresh off a Calder Cup MVP performance—to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In return, they received forward prospect Chase Stillman and a 2027 fourth-round draft pick. The trade caught many fans off guard and stirred up strong opinions, especially given Silovs’ standout postseason for the Abbotsford Canucks.
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But beneath the emotion, the reasoning behind the deal reflects Vancouver’s deeper organizational strategy in the net.
A Shocking Move? Not If You Were Paying Attention
Co-hosts Jason Brough and Jamie Dodd on Sportsnet 650 broke down the logic. While Silovs was beloved for his clutch playoff run, the writing had been on the wall for weeks. Vancouver had already committed long-term to Thatcher Demko (with a new three-year extension on top of his current deal) and had recently signed Kevin Lankinen to a five-year, $4.5 million average annual value (AAV) contract. The team also talked up younger goalies like Nikita Tolopilo and Ty Young while drafting and signing Alexei Medvedev.
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In other words, the Canucks were loaded in goal—and not just at the NHL level. Keeping Silovs likely meant risking him to waivers, where he could have been claimed for nothing. Rather than lose him for free, Vancouver acted preemptively and found a trade partner in Pittsburgh.
Who Is Chase Stillman?
The return—a fourth-round pick and forward prospect Stillman—was met with skepticism. Many Canucks fans see the trade as nonsensical. Why move Silovs for so little value? Stillman, a 2021 first-round pick by the Devils, has yet to make a meaningful NHL impact. However, he does bring size, energy, and a physical edge that could eventually contribute at the bottom of Vancouver’s lineup.
It’s worth noting that Silovs, for all his playoff heroics, is also unproven at the NHL level. In 19 NHL games, he posted an .880 save percentage (SV%) in the regular season and an .898 SV% in brief playoff action. The Canucks weren’t moving on from a sure-thing starter—they were trading a promising but uncertain asset from a position of surplus.
The Penguins Are Building, the Canucks Are Pushing to Win
The Penguins were a logical landing spot….
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