Thatcher Demko's nightmare season has taken another twist.
When Demko left the Vancouver Canucks' last game ten minutes into the first period, it seemed like the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off came at exactly the right time to give him time to recuperate. After all, head coach Rick Tocchet didn't seem to think his goaltender's lower-body injury was that big of a deal.
"It was just something that happened during the game," said Tocchet. "I don’t think it’s that serious, I don’t know. From early reports, it’s not the knee, so we don’t have to have you guys speculate.”
Apparently, it's a little more serious than Tocchet initially thought. Demko has already been out for ten days during the break and he'll be out for at least 14 more. Demko was absent from Tuesday's practice at Rogers Arena, the team's first since the break, and the team reported that Demko is out week-to-week.
Specifically, Demko will not travel with the Canucks on their upcoming road trip, which kicks off in Las Vegas on Saturday. The Canucks will play their next five games on the road, with their next home game not until March 5. That would represent Demko's earliest chance to return unless he joins the team on the road.
With Demko out, the Canucks have recalled Arturs Silovs from the Abbotsford Canucks on an emergency basis and also had Abbotsford goaltender Nikita Tolopilo join the team at practice with Kevin Lankinen yet to return from representing Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
The Canucks' road trip includes two sets of back-to-back games, so Silovs will presumably get into at least two games while Demko is out. Silovs was expected to challenge Lankinen for the backup job this season but struggled early with an .847 save percentage in seven games. His performance in the AHL has been up and down but he's on the upswing with two strong starts against the Colorado Eagles in which he allowed just one goal in each game.
Demko's latest injury just adds to the frustration of what has been a troubled season for the Canucks' star goaltender. An unusual injury to the popliteus muscle in his knee during last year's playoffs hindered his offseason training and prevented him from returning to the Canucks' lineup until December 10.
When Demko did return, he struggled to get back up to game speed, posting an ugly .867 save percentage in his first dozen starts. It was only in his five most recent games that Demko had started to look more like himself, posting a .955 save percentage including one shutout. That makes it extra frustrating that he then suffered yet another injury.
When healthy, Demko is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL. The question is whether he can remain healthy for a full season in the future. That's something that will weigh on the Canucks as Demko enters the final year of his contract next season.
