Report: Canucks Star Goaltender to Miss Preseason

The Vancouver Canucks' star goaltender is still a ways away from returning.

Feb 29, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko (35) looks for shot against the Los Angeles Kings in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports / Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

Vancouver Canucks star goaltender Thatcher Demko will reportedly miss training camp and the preseason as he continues to nurse a knee injury suffered in the playoffs, according to The Athletic's Rick Dhaliwal and Thomas Drance.

Additionally, Demko's status for the start of the regular season is also in question. Vancouver begins the regular season at home against the Calgary Flames on Oct. 9.

Demko, 28, missed more than a month with his initial knee injury, but managed to return at the end of the regular season in mid-April. Unfortunately, he appeared to re-aggrivate the injury late in Game 1 of Vancouver's first-round series against the Nashville Predators.

The San Diego native continued to travel with tthe team and even seemed close to returning at some point, but never made it back before the Canucks fell in the second round to the Edmonton Oilers in seven games. However, he did say in his exit interview that he "probably" would've been available had the Canucks advanced to the Western Conference Final.

Demko is coming off the best season of his career, in which he posted a .918 save percentage, a 2.45 goals against average and a 35-14-2 record in 51 games. He finished second in Vezina Trophy voting behind Winnipeg Jets star Connor Hellebuyck.

With the uncertainty surrounding Demko, the Canucks have reportedly begun exploring their options in net. According to Dhaliwal and Drance, the team has reportedly reached out to 29-year-old goaltender Kevin Lankinen, who spent the past two seasons with Nashville. However, Vancouver's lack of cap space (roughly $191,000 remaining according to PuckPedia) could complicate matters.

"While Lankinen has emerged as Vancouver’s top insurance target, and we believe the club made him an offer this week, this isn’t necessarily going to be an easy agreement to strike," Dhaliwal and Drance write. "Lankinen remains without a contract in late August, but he earned $2 million last season and has the sort of experience and profile that would tend to earn an NHL goaltender a contract worth more than a veteran minimum one-year contract."

The Canucks training camp runs from Sept. 19-22, and they begin the preseason soon after with a home game against the Seattle Kraken on Sept. 24.

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