This is a tough call, but at least we don't have Luongo money/term tied into any one of our goalies this time around.
At the end of the day, I think we should trade Demko - and there's no better time to do it. We have all kinds of needs right now, including the need for another 3rd line centre, a top-4 (preferably right-handed) D man, and the need to recoup more of our draft picks. Demko can surely fetch us one (or more) of those needs if what's available in free agency isn't 1) the right fit and/or 2) affordable for us. Detroit has come up here and there as a potential trading partner, but I think another one to look out for is Ottawa. Teams like San Jose and Boston could be dark horses.
Demko's value is sky-high at the moment, and I have no doubt that he's on the way to becoming a starter in the league. But Markstrom is our guy right now. We need to take the next step towards becoming a contender, and we already have our bonafide #1 in Markstrom - currently playing in his prime. A guy I absolutely love that I'd like to see us sign to play 30 games behind Markstrom would be Khudobin. The problem with Khudobin is that he'll come in around 4-4.5 million, which is only 1.5 million less than what we can sign Markstrom for. Same probably goes for Greiss. (The two aforementioned goalies just got their teams into the final-4.) Maybe a guy like Dell is a suitable/affordable backup option, or even Port Alberni native Laurent Brossoit. Could you trust Domingue to back up Markstrom? I'd be leaning towards no on that one, so you'd have to find someone who you'd be comfortable having play 30 games or so - and there are definitely guys out there who can do just that.
Or do the Nucks just get Marky signed, keep Demko, and worry about the goalie situation later? As much as I want to think this is feasible (because then you get to roll with both Marky AND Demko for another season), we might lose our window of opportunity to trade Demko if we don't do so before the next trade deadline - and then, obviously, lose him for nothing to Seattle.
It's such a tough call and it's hard to say what will happen. There are other factors to consider too: Demko already has 2 concussions, and Marky tweaked his knee (and maybe his groin). Hopefully Markstrom's latest injury won't be of any concern in the long run... But based on everything I've gathered up to this point, I would pull the trigger on Demko because his trade value is so high; and we already have Markstrom - a top-10 goalie in the league. Hypothetically, we could trade him in a package deal to Detroit, and they trade us the UFA rights to Jimmy Howard as a potential backup. I know he's a prospect, but I love Moritz Seider. Dare to dream, dare to dream...
Benning's a smart guy and will figure this out. Just remember folks, our season ended only just a couple nights ago. And we've seen around the league that trades are already being made. This is just the beginning of the offseason for us. Buckle up!