Vancouver Canucks fans are going to need to wait a bit longer before getting to watch goalie Thatcher Demko back in action.
The 28-year-old has not played yet this season as he recovers from a popliteus injury. He’s finally on the verge of returning to the crease, and there were reports that he would play on this most recent road trip. Those turned out to be slightly too ambitious, as he’s not expected to suit up against the Minnesota Wild today, pushing his debut back again.
“The Canucks played four games in six nights, he got no practice time, he got no shots. He’s not ready, he needs more practice,” explained CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal on Donnie & Dhali today.
The Canucks are fine with giving Demko as much time as he needs. Kevin Lankinen has performed extremely well so far this year and even set an NHL record for most consecutive road victories to start a season.
Still, when on his game Demko is one of the best netminders in the world. His mere presence in the crease gives the Canucks another level of confidence and helps cover for some of their defensive warts.
The good news is that it shouldn’t be long until the goalie is fully ready to go. His season debut should come within the next two weeks.
“Somewhere on this home stand, you should see Thatcher Demko,” continued Dhaliwal.
This means he could play as soon as Friday when the Canucks take on the Columbus Blue Jackets. They have two days off before that contest, which means they could get the goalie and team plenty of rest leading up to the event.
If it’s not that game, the Canucks have five more games on this home stand which could work. The last one before heading on the road is against the Colorado Avalanche on December 16.