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Patrick Johnston: Having the Canucks goaltender end last season as a question mark means he’s still a question mark going into the 2024-25 season
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Published Aug 20, 2024 • Last updated 1 hour ago • 3 minute read
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As far as we know, goaltender Thatcher Demko will be ready to go come Sept. 21, when the Canucks open camp in Penticton. Photo by Derek Cain /Getty Images
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Nature abhors a vacuum.
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You’ve heard it before. Get ready to hear it a lot over the next month.
Yes, there’s still a month to go until the start of Vancouver Canucks training camp.
The vacuum in question is the lack of information around goalie Thatcher Demko’s health. That’s what happens when you end your season on the injured list, as Demko did.
Now, we do have some bits of information to go on, like the fact Demko was practising — and practising hard — when the Canucks’ playoff run ended in May. He was nearly ready to go for Game 7 vs. Edmonton and had the Canucks won the series, the feeling was that Demko would have returned to face the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference final.
But then came noise before free agency that perhaps the Canucks were interested in a backup goaltender with more experience that Arturs Silovs, despite Silovs’ mostly strong efforts subbing in for Demko and Casey DeSmith during the playoff run.
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At the time, Canucks GM Patrik Allvin played a little coy, not quite endorsing Silovs as the planned-for backup.
“A good candidate to be on the big team next year,” Allvin replied to the question of Silovs being the expected backup in 2024-25. That did nothing to quell the noise that maybe the Canucks would look to sign a veteran backup in free agency.
They did sign a goalie: Jiri Patera, but his resume is pretty short. Silovs remains the front-runner at this point.
A few days later, Allvin answered a question about Demko’s health with a bit of caution.
Thatcher Demko was practising — and practising hard — when the Canucks’ playoff run ended in May. Photo by Derek Cain /Getty Images
Demko would be ready for training camp, the GM told Sportsnet 650 on July 1, adding the veteran goalie hadn’t had any medical procedures “up to this point.”
If you’re parsing his grammar, that didn’t rule out a future procedure.
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Since then, there’s been little noise, though Tuesday CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhailwal rebooted speculation.
“What I am hearing is that he is progressing, but no timetable as to when he’s going to be 100 per cent healthy,” he told Sportsnet 650’s morning show.
Which, of course, goes against what Allvin said on July 1.
Allvin didn’t respond Tuesday to a query from Postmedia, nor did Demko’s agent, Jordan Neumann.
And so the void persists.
As far as we know, Demko will be ready to go come Sept. 21, when the Canucks open camp in Penticton.
The players who will make up the newest edition of the Canucks will start trickling into town over the next few weeks. Some of them will be spotted skating, and it’s certain there will be some sort of ongoing Demko watch.
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If he does turn up on the ice, that will likely quickly end the questions. But if doesn’t …
The Canucks, of course, could simply put an end to all this with a statement about Demko’s status, laying out Demko’s recovery timeline going back to the original injury in late April.
pjohnston@postmedia.com
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Fitnessnacks – #Canucks #noise #fill #Thatcher #Demko #void
Courtesy : https://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/thatcher-demko-injury-status-questions