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Concern That Thatcher Demko’s Injury Could Be Season-Ending
Canucks head coach Adam Foote wouldn’t rule out Thatcher Demko being shut down for the season.
Not that long ago, Thatcher Demko made his return from injury and immediately steadied the ship in Vancouver, backstopping the post–Quinn Hughes Canucks to three consecutive wins while looking every bit like an All-Star.
Fast forward roughly a month, and the good vibes are gone. Demko has not only lost his last six starts, but he’s back on the shelf with a lower-body injury after leaving Saturday’s contest in Toronto, and the diagnosis a few days later does not appear to be positive in the slightest.
Head coach Adam Foote spoke about his star netminder’s status on Monday ahead of their clash in Montreal with the Canadiens, and even he didn’t seem too sure about what to expect. When asked whether it could be a scenario where the team is forced to shut Demko down for the season, he admitted it’s a possibility.
“Might be possible, honestly, we’ll know more when he sees the doctors these next couple of days. He’s got a couple of things going on. He’s missed a couple of times, so it’s one of the ones, so I don’t even know. He’s been dealing with it all year, a couple of things,”
The 30-year-old Demko has gone 8-10-1 with a 2.90 goals-against average, a .897 save percentage, while posting one shutout across 20 starts this season. His three-year, $25.5 million extension signed with the Canucks this summer still doesn’t kick in until the start of the 2026-27 campaign.
It Could Make Sense to Shut Thatcher Demko Down
As much as Demko—or any competitor for that matter—will want to do everything in order to get back in the lineup as soon as possible, given the current state of the Canucks, patience is the smart approach here.
GM Patrik Allvin admitted on Sunday that this is, in fact, a rebuild, which gives them even more reason to hold Demko out to avoid any further injury risk, especially since he’s a player that might not factor into their long-term plans. If Vancouver ever does explore the trade market for him, he’ll need to be healthy above anything else.
It’s an unfortunate reality for one of the league’s more talented goaltenders, but availability remains the best ability. And in recent seasons, Demko simply hasn’t been able to stay healthy anywhere close to enough to provide it.
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