Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko isn't expected to be ready for training camp and Vancouver's preseason games in September as he works his way back from a knee injury, sources told The Athletic's Thomas Drance and Rick Dhaliwal.
Though the Canucks hope Demko will be good to go for their regular-season opener on Oct. 9 against the Calgary Flames, his return isn't a sure thing.
Demko hasn't played since Game 1 of Vancouver's first-round clash against the Nashville Predators in April. He played the entirety of the Canucks' 4-2 victory, turning aside 22 of 24 shots, but the club then labeled him as questionable for the remainder of the series.
The Vezina Trophy finalist missed 14 games in the late stages of the regular season with a knee injury, but he started the last two contests before the playoffs.
Demko's latest ailment isn't the same as what sidelined him down the stretch, but it's to the same knee, according to TSN's Farhan Lalji.
Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said prior to Game 5 of the second round that Demko was improving "immensely," but he ultimately didn't return, and Vancouver lost to the Edmonton Oilers in seven contests.
The Canucks are poking around the goaltending market and appear to be most interested in unrestricted free-agent netminder Kevin Lankinen, per Drance and Dhaliwal.
Lankinen appeared in 24 games with the Predators this past season, posting an 11-6-0 record to go along with a .908 save percentage and 2.82 goals against average.
The 29-year-old carried a $2-million cap hit in 2023-24, and Evolving-Hockey projects him to sign a one-year, $1.466-million deal. Vancouver has just under $191,000 in cap space, according to PuckPedia.
Antti Raanta and Martin Jones are also available on the free-agent market.
The Canucks re-signed Arturs Silovs to a two-year pact with an $850,000 cap hit in July. Silovs showed his potential in the playoffs in Demko's absence, registering five wins and a .898 save percentage in 10 outings. However, the 23-year-old is still inexperienced and has only nine regular-season games under his belt.
Vancouver also inked Jiri Patera to a two-year, two-way pact. The 25-year-old suited up for six games for the Vegas Golden Knights this past season, owning a .893 clip and 3.98 goals against average in limited action.
Demko recorded a 35-14-2 record in 51 appearances in 2023-24, as well as a .918 save percentage and 2.45 goals against average.
