With the most sincere of apologies in advance, we have yet another update on when Thatcher Demko can finally be expected to make his long-awaited return to action for the Canucks. And assuming the latest information is correct, he's going to be back sooner than the previous information suggested.
At the weekend, we wrote about how Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman was saying Demko would likely not make his season debut during the current six-game road trip. Friedman claimed that the thinking was it would be more comfortable for the goalie to make his first start of the 2024-25 campaign back on home ice.
At the time, we suggested that unless there was some specific medical reason for delaying Demko's return, then the Canucks shouldn't wait until they return to Vancouver to start him. That if he was ready to go sooner, then get him back in net as soon as feasible, because this was not a time for fanfare or sentiment.
Set to return even sooner?
Well, another update emerged on Monday, that seems to indicate last season's Vezina Trophy runner up will now be back between the pipes during the current road trip. The only question is when exactly?
Giving due credit to Noah Strang of the Daily Hive, Darren Dreger provided the latest information on an episode of the Sekeres and Price podcast. The TSN NHL insider said:
"My information is that they expect him to get a start on this road trip. It’s probably going to be towards the end of the road trip, but that was information that I received as late as last night."
So which game exactly?
So again, this leaves the question of when exactly, Demko will actually play? In an attempt to answer this question, combine the fact he is now a full participant in Canucks practice, along with Dreger's comments that he will play towards the end of the road trip.
The Canucks have five games remaining on the trip out East, so our assumption is that towards the end can be defined as one of their last two road games. These take place on Dec. 1 in Detroit at 9:30 am PT and on Dec. 3 in Minnesota at 5:00 pm PT.
If we were going to hedge our bets, that we would go with the last road game against the Wild. The reasoning for this relates to the Red Wings game potentially being an issue for Demko, with it starting so early in the day.
Not that we're going to die on this particular hill. In addition, we're still cognizant of Friedman's previous update, even if we don't necessarily agree with the rationale for waiting until the Canucks return to Vancouver.
Overall, we appreciate that this is all still ongoing conjecture on the part of folks who are not actually in the organisation. Ultimately, as much as Demko has made significant strides and encouraging progress of late, it's probably best not to assume anything until he is back on the ice preparing to play in an actual game.