Canucks Wrap: Joshua, Demko out for start of camp

In Thursday's edition of Canucks Wrap, we’ll be talking the latest Vancouver Canucks news, NHL news, stories, highlights, and more from the last day.

Canucks News

Tuesday brought some unexpected, devastating news to Vancouver Canucks fans. Forward Dakota Joshua was diagnosed with testicular cancer this summer and subsequently underwent surgery to have a tumor removed.

Suffice to say, the rugged Canucks forward won't be ready for the start of training camp, and no definitive timetable has been given as Joshua continues to recover from surgery.

Some fans might recall that two-time Stanley Cup champion Phil Kessel had testicular cancer early in his career in 2006, back when he was playing for the Boston Bruins. Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore underwent an operation for the same reason back in 2019.

"Although it was very difficult to face the reality of this specific type of cancer, getting checked by a doctor quickly was the best approach and I encourage men to get checked regularly for testicular cancer," Joshua said in a statement.

In other Canucks news, goalie Thatcher Demko will miss the start of training camp as he continues to nurse and recover from a chronic lower-body injury, per general manager Patrik Allvin.

NHL News

Around the NHL, top Philadelphia Flyers goalie prospect Alexei Kolosov has declined to participate in training camp as he remains home in Belarus. According to Flyers GM Danny Briere, the consensus appears to be that Kolosov wants a guaranteed spot in the NHL, which is something the organization is not willing to offer.

Not long before that news broke, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman shared that teams around the league have been calling the Flyers inquiring about the 22-year-old, but were met with a second-round pick asking price.

That's a steep price for a young kid who's effectively M.I.A. at this stage in the NHL offseason but, truthfully, plenty of goalie-needy teams can make the arrangements.