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Now, admittedly, this is where our Demko plan runs into trouble, mostly because Utica is just brutal to get to for the Canucks.

Shuttling Demko back and forth to Utica between playing assignments is much more complicated for Vancouver than it is for most any other NHL team.

And publicly, the Canucks have been adamant Demko is staying in the AHL this season and I expect that spin to continue.

Talking about bringing up Demko is not a place you can go when you have two veteran goalies in the NHL making millions each who are both signed for next season.

It would not create a good working environment and would put the writing on the wall like spray paint on the side of Rogers Arena.

But there’s been noise around the team the Canucks have at least considered trading Nilsson, and may have tested the waters already.

The market for Nilsson is assuredly soft. But if they don’t really care what they get back, the Canucks can move him.

There are teams that like him, still.

And he’s actually only 2-3 really good games away from having a nice save percentage.

He’s at .906 now, but that’s in only 16 games.

A couple of good starts backstopping a better Vancouver defensive team, with Sutter and Horvat, in the lineup, could pump some steroids into his numbers.

There just may be a way to make this happen, too.

Here’s the plan: Start Nilsson against the Hawks next week, who have been shutout twice in the past four games and aren’t very good.

Give him Florida in Florida on Feb. 6.

The Panthers have had an awful month.

And then complete our trifecta and give Nilsson the Hurricanes in Carolina on Feb. 9.

Carolina has been snug with the Canucks near the bottom of the league in offence all season.

The Canes are like free percentage points on your SV%.

Markstrom even got his shutout against these guys.

Do this, Nilsson gets to a .920 save percentage.

Trade him for a fourth.

Start Demko.

Who’s in?

Let’s go.

BEST ENDING

The one think you worry about with a young goalies is if they’re ready mentally.

Here’s a RJ comment from a piece Ed did on the situation in Utica.