It's Thatcher Demko time in Vancouver.

The Canucks recalled the 23-year-old goaltending prospect on Friday after losing Mike McKenna on waivers.

Canucks general manager Jim Benning said after trading goaltender Anders Nilsson and forward Darren Archibald to the Ottawa Senators for McKenna, forward Tom Pyatt and Ottawa's sixth-round selection in the 2019 NHL Draft on Wednesday that Demko would be called up in the near future. 

“One of the things that we wanted to do was make room for Thatcher and get him going,” Benning said after moving Nilsson.  “We’ve been patient with him, with his development. He’s playing really well down there (in Utica) … we just felt that the foundation for his game is set, now is time for him to move up.”

Demko, a second-round pick in 2014, has an 8-5-1 record with a .911 save percentage and a 2.58 GAA in 16 games with the AHL's Utica Comets this season.