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Really, the Canucks agreed to Jacob Markstrom’s contract extension a year ago. That’s when, for several reasons including what the Canucks believed it would cost, Vancouver chose to ride with Team Markstrom instead of Team Eddie Lack.

Lucky then that the decision wasn’t made for them.

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It wasn’t that long ago, fall 2014 in fact, when Markstrom could have been plucked off waivers by any shrewd, soothsaying front office. The Canucks had just signed goaltender Ryan Miller. Lack was pegged to be his backup. Markstrom was the former top prospect-turned-project whose game had more holes than the NFL’s Deflategate case. Unable to see a bright future in Markstrom, the NHL collectively passed, meaning the goalie cleared waivers and was assigned to the AHL. It began a journey back to prominence that will see him begin usurping Miller as the team’s perceived No. 1 goalie this fall.

Thatcher Demko may be the goalie of the future, but Markstrom is the goalie of tomorrow. The three-year, US$11-million extension he signed Wednesday means the Canucks believe he can start at least 55 games, as soon as now. That may, or may not, be how coach Willie Desjardins sees it. But with Markstrom locked up for four more years and Miller just one, the expectation will be that the 26-year-old starts more than half the games, to help him transition from a 30-starts-a-year-guy to 55 to 60. If Markstrom does that well, and that’s a significant step, the contract will look like a very good one.