The Canucks could be getting closer to getting their regular starting goaltender back as Sportsnet 650’s Brendan Batchelor relays (Twitter link) that Thatcher Demko skated today for the second straight day. He has missed more than a month as he continues to battle a groin injury, not the knee issue that sidelined him in the playoffs last year and caused him to miss the first three months of this season. Demko has underperformed when he has been available, posting a 2.87 GAA with a .891 SV% in 17 games. But with Arturs Silovs also struggling and Kevin Lankinen blowing past his career high in games played already, even having Demko back in a secondary capacity for the stretch run should help boost Vancouver’s chances as they battle for a playoff spot in the West.
Elsewhere in the Pacific:
- Out of the lineup for nearly 14 months now, there remains no timetable for Sharks center Logan Couture to return to the ice, notes Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. The 35-year-old last played on January 31st, 2024, and has been dealing with osteitis pubis since then. With just 15 games left on the season and the fact he hasn’t returned to the ice, it’s looking like Couture won’t suit up at all in the 2024-25 campaign. He’s signed through the 2026-27 campaign at a $8MM cap charge.
- Still with San Jose, speaking with Responsible Gambling’s Sergei Demidov, former NHL winger Andrei Kovalenko provided an update on his son’s contractual situation. He noted that the Sharks planned to discuss a new contract with Nikolai Kovalenko’s agent during the 4 Nations break but when the 25-year-old was injured, those plans were shelved. Instead, the sides agreed to push contract talks until after the season. Kovalenko has six goals and 11 assists in 49 games between Colorado and San Jose in 2024-25 in just under 12 minutes a night of playing time.