Goalie was MVP of Calder Cup Playoffs last season, will play for Latvia in Olympics
© Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images
Arturs Silovs was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins by the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday for Chase Stillman and a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
The 24-year-old goalie is signed through the end of this season with an average annual value of $850,000. He was named most valuable player of the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs after helping Abbotsford win its first American Hockey League championship with a 3-2 victory against Charlotte in Game 6.
Silovs was named one of Team Latvia’s first six players for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. He’s expected to compete with Tristan Jarry, Joel Blomqvist and goalie prospect Sergei Murashov with the Penguins trading Alex Nedeljkovic to the San Jose Sharks on July 1 for a third-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft.
“We would like thank Arturs for everything he has done for the hockey club, including helping Abbotsford win the Calder Cup,” Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said. “We wanted to give him an opportunity elsewhere as we feel we are very well positioned in goal at the NHL, AHL and developmental level. Acquiring a future pick and depth forward will add to our organizational depth.”
Silovs started opening night for the Canucks last season against the Calgary Flames on Oct. 9, but he struggled early and lost the job to Kevin Lankinen before being sent back to the AHL in early December when Thatcher Demko returned from a knee injury. Though Silovs was 2-6-1 with a 3.65 goals-against average and.861 save percentage in 10 NHL games (nine starts), he went 16-7 with a 2.01 GAA and .931 save percentage on Abbotsford’s road to the Calder Cup. His five shutouts were one shy of the AHL playoff record, and he was the fourth goalie to be named MVP.
Silovs started for an injured Demko during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He made 28 saves in a 1-0 win against the Nashville Predators in Game 6 of the Western Conference First Round and helped the Canucks to Game 7 of the second round, a 3-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
“You just realize when the games actually matter,” Silovs said after Game 3 of the Calder Cup Final. “I think it’s a psychological thing too. The fans are more active in playoff time. I think that’s what you’re feeding from too. It gives you more energy.”
Silovs is 8-8-2 with a 3.13 GAA and .880 save percentage in 19 NHL regular-season games (18 starts) and 5-5 with a 2.91 GAA and .898 save percentage in 10 playoff games.
Demko signed a three-year, $25.5 million contract ($8.5 million average annual value) with Vancouver on July 1 and Lankinen a five-year, $22.5 million contract Feb. 21 after playing for Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Stillman, a 22-year-old forward, has yet to play in the NHL. He combined for 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 65 AHL games with Utica and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The first-round pick (No. 29) of the New Jersey Devils in the 2021 NHL Draft was traded to Pittsburgh by New Jersey for Jonathan Gruden and Cody Glass on March 7.
NHL.com independent correspondent Kevin Woodley contributed to this report
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