Canucks Goalie Unsure on Status For Season Opener

The Vancouver Canucks have dealt with a litany of injuries in net this offseason.

Apr 16, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko (35) in the goal against the Calgary Flames in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images / Bob Frid-Imagn Images

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko isn't sure if he'll be ready for the start of the regular season after a lower-body injury he suffered in last season's playoffs.

“I can't really give you an answer, to be honest,” Demko said Thursday, per NHL.com. “Had you asked me a month ago, I really wouldn't have been able to tell you. I will say we're on a great trajectory right now.”

Demko, 28, missed the first day of training camp on Thursday, but did skate with new goaltending coach Marko Torenius in Penticton, British Columbia.

“This is the most confident I've been in the rehab process up to date and as I continue to progress and work with Marko and our medical staff, hopefully just keep progressing week to week,” Demko said. “I'm not going to sit here and give you a timeline that creates some problems for me potentially, but I feel really confident where we're headed and hopefully be 100 percent sooner than later.”

The Vezina Trophy finalist went down with an injury during Game 1 of Vancouver's first-round series against the Nashville Predators. He says he was close to returning for Game 7 of the second-round series agaisnt the Edmonton Oilers, and believes he would've played if the Canucks advanced to the Western Conference Final. Alas, they did not, and Demko is still trying to work his way back.

“Looking back, as a competitor you kind of lie to yourself in a playoff situation and I thought maybe I was a little bit farther ahead than I was, in hindsight,” Demko said. “I do think I would have been in a situation where I probably would have been able to kind of grit through it and maybe get out there and play in the conference final. I did hit a bit of a wall in the summer as far as the recovery went and we did see a little bit of a lack of progress there for a couple months, and obviously that's why I'm in the situation that I'm in right now.

“But I would say, the last probably two or three weeks, we've seen a ton of progress and we're very confident in where I am right now and happy with that.”

Injuries have unfortunately been a pattern for Demko since becoming the Canucks' top goalie, as he's missed time in each of the past three seasons. Hopefully, the talented netminder is able to make it back to the ice soon and keep the injury bug away.

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