A positive sign for one of the top goaltenders in the game.
On Tuesday, Vancouver Canucks reporter Rick Dhaliwal mentioned that goaltender Thatcher Demko is back on the ice. He is currently skating and working out, and it is believed that he will be ready to go by the time training camp starts later this month. That was contrary to a report that Dhaliwal himself gave late last month.
Dhaliwal also mentioned that Arturs Silovs is heading to Vancouver from his home in Latvia to be looked at. It was reported last week that he has been dealing with knee inflammation, as he had to pull out of representing his country during Olympic qualification. Dhaliwal says Silovs’ ailment isn’t expected to be serious, and should be ready for training camp as well. Latvia still managed to punch their ticket to the 2026 men’s Winter Olympics tournament.
Both goaltenders played key roles in the Canucks’ 2023-24 season. Demko was the backbone as the Canucks won the Pacific Division title. However, he missed a handful of games near the end of the regular season, with the injury not in relation to any prior knee injuries he had suffered. Demko was hurt in the first games of the opening round of the playoffs against the Nashville Predators, and went on to miss the remainder of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Casey DeSmith would jump in to try and save the day, but he would get hurt as well, and be put on the shelf. That opened the door for Silovs, who was masterful in helping Vancouver get to the second round, though they inevitably lost to the Edmonton Oilers in seven games. In his 10 appearances, Silovs had a 5-5-0 record, an .898 save percentage, and one shutout.
Demko has two more seasons remaining on his current contract, with an AAV of $5 million. The San Diego, California native has been with the organization since they took him in the second round of the 2014 NHL Draft. In 219 NHL appearances, Demko has a record of 116-81-17, with a 2.79 goals-against average, a .912 save percentage and eight shutouts.
