Discouraging update on Vancouver's Thatcher Demko

The Vancouver Canucks weren't helped by the fact that starting goaltender Thatcher Demko went down in the Stanley Cup Playoffs following a hugely successful regular season with what had been a nagging knee injury.

And while he's continued his rehabilitation throughout the summer, there was fear from the Canucks that he may not be ready in time to begin Training Camp and the exhibition schedule next month. Those fears have now been confirmed by CHEK's Rick Dhaliwal and The Athletic's Thomas Drance, who report that Demko won't be ready when the rest of his Vancouver teammates gather for camp:

Via The Athletic:

"The club is exploring its options and appears to be in the market for additional insurance in net. That’s understandable, given that Demko remains without a timeline as he progresses through his rehab, and is coming off of back-to-back knee injuries.

Multiple league sources have since indicated to The Athletic that Demko won’t be ready for training camp and preseason games. The club is hopeful that its Vezina Trophy finalist will be available to play on opening night — Oct. 9 against the Calgary Flames — but even that seems to be in question at this late stage of the summer.

There’s a bit of a cone of silence around exactly what’s occurring here. To this point, no one close to the situation will confirm whether or not Demko underwent a surgical procedure this summer."

Demko amassed a record of 35-14-2 with a 2.45 goals-against average, .918 save percentage and five shutouts during the 2023-24 regular season, leading the Canucks to the Pacific Division crown. He was also a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, awarded annually to the League's top goaltender.

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