With opening night just around the corner, the biggest uncertainty hanging over the Vancouver Canucks is still Thatcher Demko.
The goaltender was at training camp, but he was not taking part in team drills or skates with the group. That leaves the Canucks without a clear read on where Demko stands after season-ending hip surgery in January, and there remains no timeline for his return.
Demko, 30, is one of the league’s top goalies when he’s healthy. The problem is getting him there has been a rare event over the last two seasons. Since the start of the 2024-25 campaign, he has appeared in only 43 games.
Before camp, general manager Ryan Johnson said the club was still taking a patient approach and offered no target date for Demko’s comeback.
"It's been a great process for him physically and mentally, and we're just going to continue this journey again without a timeline. Just making sure when he does take that last step, that everybody involved feels 100%."
At camp in Penticton, Demko did get on the ice in the morning before the two groups, but he was working separately and did not speak to the media. Because he wasn’t facing NHL players or being tested in game-like situations, it was difficult to tell how far along he is in his recovery.
Assistant coach Adam Foote echoed that cautious tone.
"Again, not to get too much into the medical side of things for our group," said Malhotra. "Thatcher's done a great job of just working every day, doing his due diligence to make sure he's an option as soon as possible. But again, we're not going to rush that situation."
The clock is now ticking on the roster side. NHL teams have to submit their opening-night roster by September 28, which gives Johnson and his staff five days to decide whether Demko needs to start the season on some form of injured reserve.
As things stand, the Canucks have 28 players on the NHL roster, and that number has to be trimmed to 23 by Monday.
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