The Vancouver Canucks 5-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena was bad enough. The game was 3-0 by the first intermission, with Vancouver pretty much going through the motions the rest of the game.
What made matters even more concerning was starting goaltender Thatcher Demko’s absence to start the second period. The TV broadcast squarely focused on Kevin Lankinen as he came out to start the middle frame.
Lankinen kept his team in the game, but they just couldn’t muster any offense.
The reason for Demko’s absence got a reply following the game. Canucks’ insider Thomas Drance reported that Demko had left the game due to an injury:
He’ll be reevaluated over the next few days. #Canucks
The disappointing news marks yet another injury situation for the Canucks star netminder. Demko has been on the shelf multiple times this season, with Saturday night’s lower-body injury being the latest.
It’s worth pointing out that Demko has struggled with a knee injury that required surgery. That injury kept him out of the lineup for most of the 2024-25 season. Unfortunately, the surgery has been ineffective at keeping him healthy moving forward.
There is no timeframe for Demko’s injury situation at the moment. More information should be forthcoming upon testing and evaluation in the coming days.
Canucks Going from Bad to Worse
The Canucks are going through one of the worst stretches the team has seen this season. The club is in the midst of a six-game losing streak, registering a 2-6-2 mark in its last 10.
With Demko’s injury on top of everything, the Canucks may struggle to get any momentum going in the remainder of this season.
Earlier this year, Demko hit the shelf for about a month. Simultaneously, Lankinen left the team for personal reasons. That situation forced the team to roll with rookie goaltender Nikita Tolopilo as their starter. Tolopilo played well, registering a shutout along the way.
But that situation was hardly conducive to the team’s success. Tolopilo could get another shot at the NHL as Lankinen’s backup this time around. Yet, it remains unclear if coach Adam Foote will give him any significant playing time.
Demko Situation Unsettling for Vancouver
There is no question that Thatcher Demko is an elite-level goaltender. But his checkered injury history is an unsettling one for the Canucks. The team cannot truly rely on Demko, as he consistently goes down after about 10 games or so.
The worst part is that Demko is under contract for three more seasons at $8.5 million. As a result, the Canucks could have an albatross, making his contract immovable. The hope is that Demko can be healthy and productive, of course. But if he can’t rebound, the team may be unable to do anything about the situation.
With the Olympic break about three weeks away, and Demko needing time off, the break will come in handy. Hopefully, this latest injury situation is nothing more than just an awful injury scare.
The Canucks need Demko in the crease if they are to make any headway moving forward this season.
Canucks Get Yet Another Disappointing Injury Update