It’s been four months since Thatcher Demko suffered his most recent knee injury, and the Vancouver Canucks goalie still isn’t fully healthy.
CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal shared that concerning update during a Tuesday morning conversation with Jason Brough and Josh Elliott-Wolfe on Sportsnet 650.
Dhaliwal characterized Demko’s rehab as “not as fast as some want” but said there haven’t been any setbacks.
Still, it’s a big revelation, given that Demko said he was “really close” to returning to the lineup when the Canucks lost to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 on May 20.
“What I am hearing on Demko is that he is progressing, but no timetable as to when he’s going to be 100% healthy,” Dhaliwal said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the Canucks continue to poke around the goalie market again, mostly just to protect themselves. The Canucks may need insurance, just in case.”
🗣️”I wouldn’t be surprised if the #Canucks continue to poke around the goalie market.”
▶️ @SadClubCommish & @ElliottWolfeJ get an update on Thatcher Demko from @DhaliwalSports.
— Sportsnet 650 (@Sportsnet650) August 20, 2024
The Canucks tried to re-sign Casey DeSmith before July 1, Dhaliwal said, in response to Demko’s slow progress.
“Canucks, I’ve been told, have been worried about Demko’s rehab going back to the NHL Draft,” Dhaliwal added. “That’s when they started talks again with Casey DeSmith, is when they were kind of worried about Demko’s rehab. He hadn’t skated.”
Training camp begins in less than one month, on September 19. The puck drops on the regular season on October 9.
Will the Canucks find another goalie before then? And how will Demko perform when he finally does return to the crease?
This underscores the importance of Arturs Silovs taking the next step in his career. The 23-year-old Latvian has just 19 NHL games, 10 of which came in last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Nikita Tolopilo and Jiri Patera follow Silovs on the Canucks’ goaltending depth chart.
A 24-year-old native of Belarus, Tolopilo had a strong first season with the Abbotsford Canucks last season, posting a .905 save percentage in 35 games. The 6-foot-6 netminder was a free agent signing by the Canucks last year, following an outstanding season in the second division of Swedish pro hockey.
Patera, a 6-foot-3 goalie the Canucks signed on July 1, has eight games of NHL experience with the Vegas Golden Knights. The 25-year-old Czech goaltender posted a .903 save percentage in 25 AHL games last season.
There aren’t many free-agent goalies available, but some, including Kevin Lankinen, Antti Raanta, and Martin Jones, are still awaiting new contracts.