PHILADELPHIA -- Cory Schneider and Roberto Luongo are gone, but the goaltending position has not been forgotten by the Vancouver Canucks. With their second-round pick in Saturdays NHL draft at No. 36, the Canucks took the highest-ranked goalie on the board, Thatcher Demko, as new general manager Jim Benning begins the process of replenishing the organizations goaltending depth. "I believe youve got to have a succession of goalies coming through the system," Benning said Saturday afternoon. "Goaltending is the most important position in an organization. ... I believe to be a top, contending team in the league, you need good goaltending. You can never have enough good goalies." Benning believes Demko, who plays at Boston College, is capable of developing into a No. 1 goaltender. He immediately becomes the Canucks goaltender of the future, especially considering the uncertainty that comes with Eddie Lack and Jacob Markstrom. "Hopefully theres an opportunity for me," said Demko, a native of San Diego, Calif., who brushed off the idea of pressure. "I think once I get there, youll start to feel it a little bit more with the Canucks fans and how passionate they are." It was at last years draft when ex-GM Mike Gillis traded Schneider -- coincidentally also a Boston College product -- to the New Jersey Devils for the ninth pick, which Vancouver used on London Knights centre Bo Horvat. Just before the trade deadline, the Canucks sent Luongo to the Florida Panthers for Markstrom and forward Shawn Matthias. Markstrom started just three games for the Canucks since the trade. Demko, who has the option of playing one to three more years at Boston College, isnt worried at all about the microscope that goalies are under in Vancouver. He cant wait to see what its like to play in a Canadian market. "Im going to thrive in it," he said. "Youve got to play in pressure and thats kind of just the nature of it. Youve got to thrive in those situations or youre not going to have success." Demko might get a taste of a pressure situation at the world junior championship because hes a candidate to start for the United States in the tournament that takes place in Montreal and Toronto. "Obviously you want to be the starter at world juniors, (it) is a goal," he said. "But theres a lot of other guys that could easily have that position." Part of drafting Demko was Bennings familiarity with him from living in Boston and watching him play often. The same can be said for winger Linden Vey, whom the Canucks acquired from the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday for the 50th pick. At 22, Vey has just 18 games of NHL experience and five assists in that time. But Benning watched him play with the Kings AHL affiliate in Manchester and said hell make the Canucks next season. "Hes ready to play in the NHL now," Benning said. "Hell start out as a third-line guy. I think once hes up and going, maybe it takes a year, maybe it takes a year and a half but I think hes got the skill to be a second-line centre at some point." It doesnt hurt that Vey also played for new coach Willie Desjardins with the WHLs Medicine Hat Tigers. Derek Dorsett, acquired from the New York Rangers on Friday, also was in Medicine Hat with Desjardins. That No. 50 pick wasnt the Canucks until they traded defenceman Jason Garrison to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday afternoon. The Kings used it on Victoria goalie Alec Dillon. Vancouver took six-foot-seven Russian defenceman Nikita Tryamkin 66th, Swedish defenceman Gustav Forsling 126th, Erie Otters centre Kyle Pettit 156th and Prince Albert Raiders defenceman MacKenzie Stewart 186th. Those players join the Canucks youth movement along with first-rounders Jake Virtanen and Jared McCann. But the most intriguing addition on Day 2 was Demko, who has prototypical NHL goalie size at six-foot-three. "My size is a tool, but I dont like to rely on it," Demko said. "I can use it, but I still like to react to pucks and kind of play athletic. Its something Im still working on, but its one of the biggest pieces of my game." Demko isnt just confident in himself but also in his ability to withstand the heat in Vancouver. He grew up considering Martin Brodeur a role model but ultimately might want to get some advice from Luongo. "Hopefully I can appeal to the fans up there and make them love me instead of hate me," Demko said. Köpa Nike Air Max Billigt . On Tuesday, the star questioned whether that was still the case. Speaking to reporters at a charity event, Johnson said: "I just kind of wonder sometimes: Is this still the place for me?" Johnsons comments came after he was asked why he recently skipped a voluntary minicamp. Nike Air Max Billigt Sverige . The Calgary Stampeders running back received the West Division nomination for the CFLs top individual award Thursday in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada and leagues eight head coaches. http://www.sverigeairmax.com/. The Oilers jumped into the free agent market early by signing defencemen Keith Aulie (six-foot-six, 228 pounds) and Mark Fayne (6-3, 210 pounds) and left-winger Benoit Pouliot (6-3, 197-pounds). Two days earlier MacTavish traded lightweight forward Sam Gagner to Tampa Bay for 6-3, 203-pound right winger Ted Purcell. Nike Air Max Billigt Online .S.-Cuba relations means baseball prospects get off the island and into the major leagues without payoffs to smugglers and threats from kidnappers, its hard to see the downside. Nike Air Max Skor Billigt . Mike Vecchione tied it at 2 with 4:01 left in the first, Saskatoon native Eli Lichtenwald gave the Dutchman the lead 57 seconds later, and Daniel Ciampini capped the spree with 2:57 to go.Leaking goals and tears in similar amounts - nobody who witnessed the scenes from Selhurst Park Monday could not have a sense of sympathy for Liverpool as the title slipped from their grasp. Their misery completed 24-hours later as the Etihad was reminded yet again why, for many, Yaya Toure and not Luis Suarez is the player of the year this season. Falling at a final fence is a BPL curse which has quivered the bottom lip of even Sir Alex Ferguson previously. Most famously, 2 years ago when added time heroics ensured the name Manchester City was etched onto the famous trophy for a first time. With just West Ham standing in the way, Manchester City appear the overwhelming favourites of securing a second title in three years. Not so fast. West Ham has gatecrashed a BPL parade previously. Before the top tier of English football turned into the global juggernaut it has now become, a bus parked by West Ham in the final match of the 1994/95 season denied Manchester United the title as the teams played out a 1-1 draw. With United denied the win, it was Blackburn managed by Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish who won the league. Even after they suffered defeat at the hands of his old club on the final day of the season. After waking up this morning to the headlines he would be fired, West Hams much maligned Sam Allardyce, who just a few weeks ago witnessed his own fans turn on him following their win over Hull, will be chomping at the bit to prove his naysayers wrong and end the season on a winning note. Its not like West Ham has not got form this season when it comes to destroying the plans of top clubs. Jose Mourinho branding their football as 19th Century following a dire Stamford Bridge stalemate back in January. With the relegation places all decided and handed out to teams who believed a managerial change was needed to inject survival into their BPL life, all attention Sunday will be on the Etihad and Anfield. Brendan Rogers put his best brave face on earlier today at his pre-match press conference when he emphatically stated the title race was not over. With not a hint of irony on his face, Rodgers singled out Andy Carroll, a player he immediately discarded after taking over at Anfield in summer 2013, as Manchester Citys destroyer. Its not known if it was Rodgers who addressed the Liverpool dressing room in the aftermath of the Selhurst Park devastation. Itt may well have been Dr.dddddddddddd Steven Peters the renowned psychiatrist who Steven Gerrard credited recently as saving his career following an injury the Liverpool captain suffered in 2010. Drafted in by Roy Hodgson as part of Englands backroom staff for the World Cup, Peters has been working with Liverpool since last fall. He is widely credited with the rehabilitation and rejuvenation of Luis Suarez this season. Stevens theory holds that the secret to success is in effective management of our "Inner Chimp" - that emotive part of the brain which affects our ability to make rational choices and decisions. Manuel Pellegrini likely didnt have full control of his inner chimp when he proclaimed shortly after Wednesdays Aston Villa triumph, "Of course I expect to win the title because now we are top of the table." Being top of the table has been a poisoned chalice all season long. Manchester City leapfrogging Liverpool was the 25th such change at the top since opening day last August. Arsenal has spent the longest period on top, followed by Chelsea, then Liverpool. Manchester City has spent less than two weeks at the BPL summit. Remarkably, if just for 48-hours, even David Moyes experienced top-spot euphoria. As Liverpool still has a remote chance of been crowned champions come noon hour on the east coast Sunday, very early in the morning the Premier League trophy will arrive at Anfield. En route it is not likely going to drive past the homes of Luis Suarez or Steven Gerrard. Much folly and merriment has been made of Gerrards slip allowing for Demba Ba to score Chelseas opener a fortnight ago. Video and images of which, could shadow and stalk the Liverpool captain the remainder of his playing days and after. With the curtain about to come down on a season which has had more twists and turns than a John La Carré best seller - there is no player more deserving of a winners medal than Gerrard. Even Ferguson, who we learned earlier in the season had less than complimentary words for Gerrard in his autobiography, will likely be cheering for Liverpool under his breath and that a quiet hush comes over his old noisy neighbour Sunday. Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel On Sunday, beginning with a pre-game show on TSN 2 at 9:30am et / 6:30am pt TSN, TSN Radio and TSN.ca has you fully covered for the exciting BPL season finale. ' ' '