The Vancouver Canucks were recipients of big, positive injury updates on Friday afternoon, as all-star goalie Thatcher Demko took the ice with his Canucks teammates to briefly practice and face some shots in full gear.
Demko, 29, has not played for the Canucks since a fateful Feb. 8 matchup with Toronto, which he exited after making six saves in exactly 10 minutes of action.
Before that, it seemed like Demko was finally starting to hit his stride on the heels of a grueling offseason filled with rehab, recovery, and changes to his training regiment.
Demko earned his first shutout of the season with a 25-save effort against the Colorado Avalanche on Feb. 4, then followed that up with a 33-save performance in a 2-1 overtime win against the San Jose Sharks two days later on Feb. 6.
The San Diego, Cali., native had won three of his last four starts before going down with an injury, so his return will be a welcomed sight for a Canucks team fighting tooth and nail for a wildcard playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Jeff Paterson of Canucks Army reported that Demko left practice early on Friday, though this was pre-planned by the team in advance.
per team plan, Thatcher Demko’s first #Canucks practice in 5 weeks comes to a prescribed early ending. Skated with group for about 35 minutes. Was actively involved. Expected to ramp things up in days ahead
— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) March 14, 2025
Paterson adds that Demko practiced for roughly 35 minutes, and the goalie is expected to accelerate his training in the coming days.
Demko's backup, Kevin Lankinen, has not played his best hockey as of late, so perhaps a return for Demko in the next week or two would not be a bad thing for Lankinen or the Canucks. The Finn has won three of his last five starts, yes, but he has a save percentage greater than .885 in just one of those five starts.
Lankinen has been inconsistent on a Canucks team that has been inconsistent all year but, generally, Lankinen gives them a chance to win every night. He is at his best when he can sufficiently rotate with another goalie, something Arturs Silovs has not allowed Vancouver to do for much of the season.
Hopefully, with Demko seemingly on the mend, the Canucks can start stringing some wins together with newfound strength through the back of the team.