Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko's already difficult season has been further complicated by an extended injury, forcing him to miss at least two weeks of action. The news comes after Demko left the Canucks' last game early due to a lower-body injury, initially downplayed by head coach Rick Tocchet. However, Demko will now miss the Canucks' upcoming road trip, leaving Arturs Silovs to step in as the backup.
Thatcher Demko 's disappointing season has taken another concerning turn. When Demko left the Vancouver Canucks ' last game ten minutes into the first period, it seemed like the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off came at an ideal time, offering him a chance to recuperate. After all, head coach Rick Tocchet didn't appear overly concerned about his goaltender's lower-body injury. 'It was just something that happened during the game,' said Tocchet. 'I don’t think it’s that serious, I don’t know.
From early reports, it’s not the knee, so we don’t have to have you guys speculate.” However, it seems the situation is more serious than Tocchet initially conveyed. Demko has already been sidelined for ten days during the break and will be out for at least another fourteen. Demko missed Tuesday's practice at Rogers Arena, the team's first since the break, and the team announced that Demko is week-to-week. Specifically, Demko will not join the Canucks on their upcoming road trip, which starts in Las Vegas on Saturday. The Canucks will play their next five games on the road, with their next home game not until March 5th. That would represent Demko's earliest chance to return unless he rejoins the team during their road trip.With Demko out, the Canucks have recalled Arturs Silovs from the Abbotsford Canucks on an emergency basis and also had Abbotsford goaltender Nikita Tolopilo join the team at practice. Kevin Lankinen is yet to return from representing Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off. The Canucks' road trip includes two sets of back-to-back games, so Silovs is expected to play at least two games while Demko is recovering. Silovs was anticipated to challenge Lankinen for the backup job this season but struggled early with an .847 save percentage in seven games. His performance in the AHL has been inconsistent but he's been showing improvement with two strong starts against the Colorado Eagles in which he allowed just one goal in each game. Demko's latest injury adds to the frustration of what has been a challenging season for the Canucks' star goaltender. An unusual injury to the popliteus muscle in his knee during last year's playoffs hampered his offseason training and prevented him from returning to the Canucks' lineup until December 10th. When Demko did return, he struggled to regain his game speed, posting a dismal .867 save percentage in his first dozen starts. It was only in his last five games that Demko started to look more like himself, posting a .955 save percentage including one shutout. This makes his latest injury even more disappointing. When healthy, Demko is considered one of the best goaltenders in the NHL. The question is whether he can stay healthy for a full season in the future. This is something that will weigh heavily on the Canucks as Demko enters the final year of his contract next season
NHL Vancouver Canucks Thatcher Demko Injury Goaltender Arturs Silovs Road Trip
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