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There are going to be doubts.

There is always some level of angst when you’re often the difference between victory or defeat, and adulation or criticism.

And if your will isn’t strong enough to embrace continuing technical refinements — and your skin isn’t thick enough to absorb relentless media scrutiny — then you should probably search for another line of work.

The key for any goaltender staking his ground as a bonafide NHL starter is: To know where you’re going, you have to know where you’ve been. And for Jacob Markstrom, who has made a time-tested transformation from prospect, to project to prime-time competitor, the past has prepared the Vancouver Canucks’ stopper for his most crucial season.

If the Canucks expect to contend for a Western Conference playoff position, then Markstrom must prove his worth on the ice and in the boardroom. The 29-year-old Swede is in his final year of a three-year US$11 million contract extension. Gauging his long-term value in a tandem with Thatcher Demko is the next contract hurdle.