Vancouver Canucks acquire young goaltender Jiri Patera off waivers

The past week in the NHL has been full of shocking moves, but after months of negotiations, the Boston Bruins ended arguably the NHL's most dramatic off-season storyline, officially inking Jeremy Swayman to a long-term deal. This move came just days after the team claimed Jiri Patera off waivers, with the team believing they needed depth in net, and on Sunday, the team placed him on waivers shortly after arrival.

Now, he's found a new home in a very familiar place, as the Vancouver Canucks have officially claimed him once more on waivers, and this time it's guaranteed that they'll be successful in sending him to the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks.

At 25-years of age, Patera has played in a total of 8 NHL games over the past two years with the Vegas Golden Knights, but with the Canucks dealing with the question mark over Thatcher Demko's head, this is a move that makes total sense for the team.

In the NHL, they have Arturs Silovs and Kevin Lankanen minding the net, but now they have even more depth in case of an injury, with the team setting themselves up nicely for another strong campaign in 2024/25.

It's unclear whether Patera will ever become a NHL caliber goaltender, but with solid experience and plenty of time left to grow, it's clear the Canucks see promise in him, and with the potential for him to play NHL games this season, we will get a clearer picture of his future at that point.