Not long ago, Thatcher Demko returned from injury and immediately leveled the ship in Vancouver, lifting the post-Quinn Hughes Canucks to three straight wins while at least looking like an All-Star.
Fast forward about a month, and the good vibes are gone. Not only has Demko lost his last six starts, but he’s back on the shelf with a lower-body injury after leaving Saturday’s game in Toronto, and the diagnosis a few days later doesn’t appear to be positive at all.
Head coach Adam Foote spoke about the status of his star netminder on Monday ahead of their Montreal matchup with the Canadiens, and even he didn’t seem too sure about what to expect. When asked if it could be a scenario where the team has to close Demko for the season, he admitted it is a possibility.
said Foot:
“It could be quite possible, honestly, we’ll know more when he visits the doctors in the next few days. He’s got a few things going on. He’s missed a few times, so it’s one of those things, so I don’t even know. He’s been dealing with it all year, a few things,”
The 30-year-old Demko went 8-10-1 with a 2.90 goals-against average and an .897 save percentage while recording one shutout in 20 starts this season. His three-year, $25.5 million extension he signed with the Canucks this summer still won’t kick in until the start of the 2026-27 season.
It might make sense to shut down Thatcher Demko
As much as Demko – or any competitor – will want to do everything he can to get back into the lineup as quickly as possible given the current state of the Canucks, patience is the smart approach here.
General Manager Patrik Allvin admitted on Sunday that this is in fact a rebuild, giving them even more reason to keep Demko out to avoid further injury risk, especially since he is a player who may not be in their long-term plans. If Vancouver is ever going to explore the trade market for him, he will need to be healthy above all else.
It’s an unfortunate reality for one of the league’s more talented goaltenders, but availability remains the best skill. And over the past few seasons, Demko simply hasn’t been able to stay anywhere near healthy to provide that.
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