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 in the final season of a two-year contract he signed with Vancouver on July 16, 2024. He was named the 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 after the Penguins traded 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 for the Canucks on opening night last season, but he struggled early and lost the job to Kevin Lankinen before being sent back to the AHL in early December after Thatcher Demko returned from a knee injury. Although 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 during Abbotsford's road to the Calder Cup. His five shutouts were one shy of the AHL's playoff record, and he was the fourth goalie to be named MVP.
In 2023-24, Silovs started for an injured Demko during the 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 ($4.5 million AAV) on Feb. 21.
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 last season. A first-round pick (No. 29) by the New Jersey Devils in the 2021 NHL Draft, Stillman 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
