Is this the new norm for Thatcher Demko?

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko was placed on injured reserve Sunday. Demko left the 5-0 loss on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs after playing just one period. 

This is the second time this season that the goaltender has been placed on injured reserve. It is again to do with his lower body, although unclear at this point as to what he is specifically dealing with. 

Demko was one of the few bright spots for the Canucks to start the season, as he started 9 of 15 games for the team to begin the season, and did so with a .912 save percentage and 7.6 Goals Saved Above Expected, but has not been near that level of play since, as his save percentage currently stands at .895% overall this season, with his Goals Saved Above Expected falling to just 2. 

Demko’s current status

As of now, Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote says that Demko will be out for “a week or two.”

Of concern, Foote said that Demko has had “a couple of things going on” and that “it might be possible” that the Canucks will have to shut down Demko for the rest of the season. 

What now for the Canucks?

With Demko’s new 3-year contract extension at $8.5 million per season set to kick in next year, the Canucks appear to have a problem on their hands. 

Fortunately for them, the salary cap is projected to increase to $113.5 million over the next two years and they are unlikely to be competitive by then, unless they are able to land a franchise changing player like Gavin McKenna via the draft. 

Unfortunately for them, they are going to have to figure out a way to navigate the goalie situation they find themselves in, as Demko has unfortunately struggled mightily with injuries the past two seasons, playing just 43 games. 

Is this the new norm for Demko?

At this point all the Canucks and Demko can do is manage the goaltender’s workload and body as best as possible.

Given the amount of term left on Demko’s current contract at the time of his initial injury, Canucks management had the luxury of time and should have waited to see what Demko’s performance and health was going to be like before awarding him a contract extension.

Perhaps it was part of the ‘retool’ over ‘rebuild’ image the organization was trying to project in order to get Quinn Hughes to want to stay, but ultimately this extension does not appear to be a smart one as of now, and if not for the fact that the Canucks are in the basement of the standings, it would be a huge roadblock to their immediate success on the ice.