Thatcher Demko’s recovery remains a question mark in Vancouver, and the latest chatter is enough to make you look twice at the Canucks’ goaltending picture.
Jason Gregor relayed Kevin Woodley’s read on the injured netminder: “He said no timeline. There have been reports he won’t be ready to start training camp. I can’t confirm it, but with the Driedger signing, it makes you wonder if his timeline (to return) has been pushed back.”
In Ottawa, the clock is ticking on Drake Batherson and the Senators. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen reported that the two sides have until September 15th to land an eight-year deal, since seven years is the maximum after that point. The team and player have both said they want to continue the relationship beyond the final year of his contract, but there is still a gap to close.
Sources cited in the report say Batherson is aiming for eight years. If he were to hit the open market, his number could land somewhere between $10 and $11 million.
If he waits until July 1st, the longest deal he could sign would be six years. And if nothing gets done before Ottawa’s season opener on October 3rd, the expectation would be that he heads to free agency.
Elliotte Friedman also weighed in, saying “there is a path to a deal” as long as both sides are willing to compromise. Money and bonus structure are the sticking points, and the Senators have a track record of not liking signing bonuses.
In Montreal, Sam Montembeault’s name keeps coming up in trade chatter. Karine Hains of The Hockey News reported that Louis Jean said on 98.5 radio in Montreal that he believed Montembeault’s time with the Canadiens was basically done by the end of last season. Jean said GM Kent Hughes tried over the summer to move him, but couldn’t find a team willing to meet the price he wanted.
Jean also said Hughes did get a trade offer for Montembeault, but it wasn’t the right one, since Hughes isn’t interested in losing trades or selling low.
That situation could be worth watching in Edmonton, too. The Oilers have been mentioned as a possible fit for Montembeault after Frederik Andersen’s offseason injury, though it’s not known how long Andersen will be sidelined.
Edmonton does still have Tristan Jarry and Devon Levi, but cap space is tight. The Oilers have just under $2 million available, so they would need to clear money to take on Montembeault’s $3.15 million salary.
In Other News...
Henrik Sedin Just Framed The Canucks Rebuild Fans Fear Most
Henrik Sedins latest comments gave a clearer sense of how the Canucks are approaching this reset, and it sounds like the organization is trying to be patient without drifting into endless waiting. The co-president said the rebuild should not drag on for a decade, but he also stopped well short of putting a firm timetable on it, stressing instead that the priority is to draft well and develop a young core that can drive itself every day.
For fans, that is familiar territory and probably not the most comforting kind. There is no pressure coming from management or ownership to rush the process, Sedin said, which means Vancouver is preparing to start over and build from the ground up with younger players. The challenge now is the one every rebuilding team faces: laying a foundation strong enough to make the timeline matter less than the progress. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Fans May Not Realize How Much Of Last Year's Team Is Gone
Since last years training camp, the Canucks roster has changed in a way thats easy to miss if you only follow the headline names. A total of 24 players are no longer with the organization, a turnover that reaches far beyond the usual offseason churn and touches every corner of the depth chart. Quinn Hughes, Conor Garland and Nils Hoglander are among the more recognizable departures, leaving a very different look for Vancouver as it heads toward the 2026-27 season.
In their place, the Canucks have brought in a new wave of talent, including Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi and Liam hgren, giving the club a fresh mix to work with. The sheer length of the list says a lot about how much has changed behind the scenes, and it also raises the obvious question for Vancouver: how quickly can all of these moving parts settle into something that feels like a coherent roster again? [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Summer Skate Offered Encouraging Signs And One Lingering Question
The Canucks summer skate at Rogers Arena offered a welcome look at where the group stands heading into a new season, with about 30 players on the ice and a mix that included several Abbotsford Canucks players. The session had the feel of a useful checkpoint rather than a headline event, featuring drills and a scrimmage between two sides, while young players such as Tom Willander and Vilmer Alriksson stood out enough to catch attention.
There was also a glimpse of how the organization is trying to blend its next wave with the established core, something Jake DeBrusk and Willander both touched on in their comments about integration and veteran leadership. Still, one detail hung over the afternoon more than any drill or scrimmage sequence: Thatcher Demko was skating on his own and had not yet joined the main group, leaving one of the most important questions around the teams readiness unresolved. [Read more 🡒]