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Thatcher Demko

West Notes: Demko, Dunn, McCann, Rantanen

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The Vancouver Canucks welcomed starting goaltender Thatcher Demko back to practice on Tuesday and could return him to the lineup as soon as Saturday, head coach Rick Tocchet shares with TSN’s Farhan Lalji (Twitter link). Demko is currently on Vancouver’s long-term injured reserve with a knee injury. He hasn’t played since March 9th, missing Vancouver’s last 12 games.

While Tocchet added that the team wants to be careful in easing Demko back in, there’s no doubting they’re ecstatic to have him back in time for playoffs. Demko’s success has been a big part of the Canucks’ climb up the standings, with the 28-year-old posting 34 wins and a .917 save percentage across 49 appearances this season. He ranks third in the league in wins and fifth in save percentage, among starting goalies.

Demko’s strong performances this season have continued his ascension, with the three-year starter in a good position to receive Vezina Trophy votes for just the second time in his career – joining his seventh-place finish in 2022, after he posted 33 wins and a .915 save percentage in 64 games. But he’ll have bigger goals in mind, with Vancouver poised to make the playoffs for just the third time since 2014.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Both Jared McCann and Vince Dunn will miss the Seattle Kraken’s Tuesday game against the Arizona Coyotes, per team reporter Alison Lukan (Twitter link). Head coach Dave Hakstol shared that both players remain day-to-day, with McCann facing a lower-body injury and Dunn nursing an upper-body injury. The pair have been highly impactful this year, each ranked in the top-three of scoring in Seattle, with McCann boasting a team-leading 60 points in 75 games while Dunn has 46 points in 59 games.
  • Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar has shared that forward Mikko Rantanen could return on Saturday, per Ryan Boulding of NHL.com (Twitter link). The star winger has been in concussion protocol after taking a heavy hit from Edmonton Oilers defesneman Mattias Ekholm on Friday. Rantanen eclipsed the 100-point mark for the second-straight seaosn this year, currently carrying 40 goals and 102 points through 77 games.

Canucks Recall Arshdeep Bains

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The Canucks recalled winger Arshdeep Bains from AHL Abbotsford on Wednesday, GM Patrik Allvin said. To create the cap space required to add Bains’ $816.7K cap hit, the team moved goaltender Thatcher Demko to long-term injured reserve, retroactive to when he sustained a knee injury against the Jets on March 9. Bains’ recall is an emergency loan, per CapFriendly, suggesting another forward aside from Elias Lindholm (undisclosed, day-to-day) may be absent for Thursday’s game against the Stars.

This is Bains’ second recall of the season. The 23-year-old was first summoned in mid-February and made his NHL debut in Colorado three days later. He made another four appearances but was held without a point and managed only three shots on goal while averaging 12:57 per game. Bains was then returned to Abbotsford on March 1, one week before the trade deadline.

An undrafted free agent pickup out of WHL Red Deer in 2022, Bains’ signing is looking like one of Allvin’s shrewder moves at the helm of the Canucks. The Surrey, British Columbia native adjusted well to the pros, putting up 38 points in 66 games in a middle-six role after leading the WHL in scoring during his overage season. Bains has taken things up a notch this year, breaking out as a first-line talent with Abbotsford and leading the team with 35 assists and 49 points in 53 games.

Bains didn’t look entirely out of place under the eye test in his call-up last month, but the stats weren’t kind. He was used in a checking role by head coach Rick Tocchet and struggled to control shot attempts, logging a 45.5 CF% at even strength that was a staggering 13.9% worse than the Canucks’ overall CF% when Bains was off the ice over his five-game stint. Keeping his head above water in terms of possession quality was even more of a struggle, logging a 33.3 xGF%.

Nonetheless, he’ll get a second chance to inject some energy into their bottom six. He was quite good in the minors after being returned to Abbotsford a few weeks ago, scoring five goals and adding five assists for 10 points in 11 games. He still has another season left on his entry-level contract and remains waiver-exempt.

As for Demko, the LTIR placement indicates the star starter will be out until at least April 6 against the Kings, meaning he’ll miss at least Vancouver’s next four games. The likely Vezina Trophy candidate remains out on a week-to-week basis but is expected back before the end of the regular season. Casey DeSmith has been the Canucks’ crease’s sole occupant since Demko got hurt, posting a 3-2-1 record and .903 SV% since replacing him against the Jets.

Morning Notes: Demko, Carlsson, Fabbro

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The Canucks are back in the win column and continue to pace themselves for their best regular season since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2011. Their 113-point pace can be credited mainly to Thatcher Demko, who will undoubtedly get Vezina Trophy consideration in a few months thanks to an uncontestable top-five showing. Unfortunately, they’ll be without their star netminder for a slight stretch as he’s set to miss “a few games” with an undisclosed injury, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK reports. More specifically, it’s a knee issue, per Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma. The Canucks will recall a goaltender from AHL Abbotsford, likely waiver-exempt Arturs Silovs, ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Avalanche.

After a breakout 2021-22 campaign that placed him seventh in Vezina voting, last year marked a significant downturn for Demko, who struggled through a knee injury that limited him to 32 starts and dropped his numbers to the average-to-mediocre range. He’s back to form this year, though, recording career highs in wins (34), SV% (.917), GAA (2.47), and shutouts (5). His 20.4 goals saved above expected are second in the league only behind Jets star Connor Hellebuyck’s 27.9, per MoneyPuck. The Canucks do not have enough cap space for a recall with $125K remaining in their LTIR salary pool, but Silovs is eligible for a $0 roster emergency exemption as he carries a cap hit of $850K or less. Unlike skaters, teams do not have to play short a goaltender for one game before being eligible to use this rarer emergency recall.

More things to note as the 2023-24 campaign chugs on past the trade deadline:

  • Ducks rookie center Leo Carlsson is set to return to the lineup for Thursday’s game in Minnesota, meaning he’ll miss a sixth straight game with a concussion when they take on Chicago tomorrow, GM Pat Verbeek said. Carlsson, 19, has settled nicely into NHL work after being selected second overall in the 2023 draft and is already the Ducks’ best two-way center by the numbers. His concussion, a right MCL sprain, and an early-season load-management plan have limited him to 40 games on the year and likely pushed him out of Calder Trophy consideration. Still, he’s posted decent secondary scoring numbers with nine goals and 23 assists while ranking second among qualified Ducks skaters with a 51.6 CF% and a team-high +1.7 expected rating. The Ducks, again in the draft lottery conversation with 49 points, have gone 2-3-0 without Carlsson in this latest stretch and have conceded six goals in back-to-back games.
  • The Predators were on the losing end of a wild finish yesterday in Minnesota, as Wild head coach John Hynes pulled the goalie in overtime for an extra skater and took home a crucial two points thanks to a Matt Boldy game-winner. However, it wasn’t the only loss they suffered yesterday, as newly-extended defenseman Dante Fabbro sustained an upper-body injury in the first period and did not return. This is Fabbro’s first injury of the season; all his previous absences have been due to healthy scratches. The 25-year-old, who inked a one-year, $2.5MM extension on deadline day, has not yet been ruled out for Wednesday’s game against the Jets. Tyson Barrie could re-enter the lineup instead of Fabbro after serving as a healthy scratch against Minnesota if the latter isn’t cleared to play.

Snapshots: Demko, Haula, Hintz

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Thatcher Demko was mysteriously pulled from the team’s season opener after just over 48 minutes of play. After the game, Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet shared that Demko was battling the flu before the game and tried to play through it but was pulled after getting sick. Despite the bug, Demko recorded 21 saves on 22 shots – a big piece of the staggering 8-1 win Vancouver would go on to notch. Recent trade acquisition Casey DeSmith relieved Demko and saved all five shots that he faced.

Vancouver hasn’t shared that they’re expecting Demko to miss any more time with this flu. They visit the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, October 14 to kick off a five-game road trip. The gap between games will likely be plenty for Demko, although his status will be one to monitor over the coming days. While DeSmith was suitable in relief, the Canucks will certainly still want as much of Demko as they can get this season. The 27-year-old goalie played in 64 games during the 2021-22 season, recording a .915 save percentage, but was held to only 32 games and a .901 save percentage last year as he battled with a groin injury.

Other notes from around the league:

Vancouver Canucks Activate Thatcher Demko

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The Vancouver Canucks have their goaltender back. After nearly three months, Thatcher Demko has been activated from injured reserve. Arturs Silovs, who was up in his absence, has been reassigned to the AHL.

It hasn’t been a good season for the Canucks, but things might not have been so bad had Demko not been injured 15 games into the year. The 27-year-old goaltender was struggling but has shown in the past an ability to carry poor performances from his teammates and turn them into wins. Last season, he appeared in 64 games and, with largely the same defensive group, posted a .914 save percentage.

That earned him a seventh-place Vezina finish and expectations that Demko would become one of the best goaltenders in the league. His five-year, $25MM contract certainly was paying him to be a reliable starter, and for the Canucks to go anywhere, they needed him to lead the way.

Now, after a brutal season that has seen captain Bo Horvat dealt away, head coach Bruce Boudreau fired, and the Canucks win just 23 of 59 games, Demko’s return is too little, too late. He now must face the very real possibility of a trade, if the team decides that the “major surgery” president Jim Rutherford referenced includes the goaltending position.

Getting back on the ice is the only way forward for Demko, regardless of where his future takes him. There’s still reason to believe he can be the goaltender he was through the first few years of his career, and a healthy stretch run would go far in building his confidence back up. The Canucks are back in action tonight against the Dallas Stars, where Demko is a game-time decision.

Injury Notes: Demko, Raymond, Brown

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The Vancouver Canucks haven’t had Thatcher Demko in net for an entire game since November. More than anything, his absence has been a considerable part of the organization’s collapse this season. Demko’s strong play likely shrouded some of the issues the team faced last year, and when he struggled at the beginning of this season, they were revealed.

His injury, which has kept him out since a game on December 1, went through several levels of severity as he dealt with setbacks. Demko is now, finally, expected to be back for the Canucks in the next few days, according to Sportsnet broadcaster Brendan Batchelor.

  • According to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, Lucas Raymond took part in his first practice today since getting injured earlier this month. The young forward wasn’t part of line rushes, so likely won’t return tomorrow, but he should be back soon to continue his sophomore season. Raymond has 15 goals and 33 points through 50 games, and will be coming back to a Detroit Red Wings group that is suddenly in the thick of a playoff race.
  • While Jakob Chychrun was on the ice for Arizona Coyotes practice, Josh Brown wasn’t, according to Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports. The big defenseman is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He left Wednesday’s game after just five shifts.

Trade Rumors: Meier, Gavrikov, Demko

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The latest edition of TSN’s Insider Trading saw analysts such as Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston discuss some of the highest-profile names available on the market ahead of the trade deadline. One of those is San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier, and LeBrun gave significant updates on the two apparent frontrunners for his services: the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes.

On the New Jersey front, LeBrun says things are heating up, with talks accelerating between the two parties over the last 48 hours. Meier’s status as a pending restricted free agent is likely jamming up the works in getting a trade finalized, though, as LeBrun reports the Devils’ interest in Meier hinges on an extension as part of the trade. That’s a complicating factor, as LeBrun reported days ago that the Sharks have not yet permitted Meier’s agent, Claude Lemieux, to discuss potential extension terms with interested teams.

For the Hurricanes, it’s the opposite. LeBrun called them the more “open-minded” of the two front-runners, as they reportedly don’t need an extension worked out as part of the trade.

  • LeBrun also gave an update on Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, who’s scratched tonight for asset protection. He named the Edmonton Oilers as a fit for Gavrikov, as while their interest in San Jose Sharks superstar Erik Karlsson is well-documented, the financial aspect of the trade is likely too tough to work out. A swap with Gavrikov and oft-maligned forward Jesse Puljujarvi would save Edmonton money, as Gavrikov’s $2.8MM cap hit comes in $200,000 under Puljujarvi’s $3MM hit. Johnston also added that there may be some “sticker shock” for teams calling on Gavrikov, as Columbus is holding firm to an ask of a first-round, third-round, and fourth-round draft pick.
  • Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko told reporters including CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal today that rumors of a trade request are unfounded. Dhaliwal added that Demko’s agent, Jordan Neumann, had reiterated to him that Demko didn’t want out of the Canucks organization. After a two-and-a-half month absence due to injury, Demko is close to returning to the Canucks lineup in the near future.

Snapshots: Demko, Islanders, Sabres

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The Vancouver Canucks are a big step closer to getting a notable piece back into their lineup. Patrick Johnston of The Province reported Tuesday that injured goalie Thatcher Demko returned to practice for the first time since he was injured making a save against the Florida Panthers on December 1, 2022.

While Demko’s long-term standing in the Canucks organization remains unknown, his return could provide benefits. If Vancouver does opt to keep their once-named “goalie of the future” after a horrid start to 2022-23, a return to the ice makes a return to form a possibility for Demko, which should come with added confidence. Even if a trade is in the cards, a hot streak between now and the deadline for Demko would likely boost his trade value, giving Vancouver more assets to work with as they retool for future seasons. Hopefully, for Demko and the Canucks, he can make his 3-10-2 start to the season a distant memory.

  • The New York Islanders have a distinct pattern of trading away first-round picks, and they did so again by dealing their top-12-protected 2023 pick to Vancouver in the Bo Horvat trade. It’s such a distinct pattern that Islanders fans have been wondering if the team can still trade their 2024 first-round pick, despite its potential transfer to the Canucks if New York ends up with a top-12 pick this season. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports clarification from the NHL that says yes, they can. If their 2024 first-round pick is transferred to the Canucks after being traded in a second deal, though, the pick in the second trade would automatically slide to 2025. It’s something other general managers will keep in mind at this deadline if the Islanders deal their 2024 pick in an attempt to load up even more.
  • Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams could look to reward his team’s strong performance this season with a trade deadline move, NHL Network’s Steve Konroyd and Mike Johnson said this morning. They called out the Columbus Blue Jackets as a potential trade partner, with names like Boone Jenner and Vladislav Gavrikov available. However, they stopped short of saying any discussions between the two parties actually occurred. With Gavrikov’s asking price rumored to be a first-round pick, however, it may be too early in Buffalo’s ascent to competitiveness for Adams to make such a major splash.

Evening Notes: Canucks, Canadiens, Nosek

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Realistically, it’s not too late for the Vancouver Canucks to still turn their season around. Coming into tonight, the team has 35 points through 34 games, out of the playoffs, but not so far that they can’t make the jump. If they want to do that though, one thing they’ll need is a healthy Thatcher Demko, and the sooner, the better with that. Demko was injured back on December 1st and originally the Canucks projected a six-week absence for their goaltender. But, that no longer seems likely, writes Patrick Johnston of The Province.

Johnston had a chance to speak with Vancouver head coach Bruce Boudreau, who discussed Demko’s return “I’m hoping that’s within the next month,” Boudreau said, “We have that big break coming (in late January), it might be right after that” he added. The Canucks will have a long break around the All Star Game, playing their last game on January 27th before picking things back up on February 6th. Also from Johnston, forward Tanner Pearson, who had hand surgery on November 10th and was originally projected to miss four-to-six weeks, has been skating and might make Vancouver’s mid-January road trip, which begins in Winnipeg on January 8th.

  • The Montreal Canadiens provided some medical updates this afternoon. Of note, forward Sean Monahan, who has been out since December 5th with a lower-body injury, is progressing well and skated today for the first time since the injury. The first-year Canadien had been enjoying a strong bounce-back season with 17 points in his first 25 games. Getting Monahan back in the lineup will not only be good for Montreal’s own performance, but the three-time 30-goal scorer could fetch a relatively significant haul at the trade deadline, just months after Montreal acquired him along with a first-round pick from the Calgary Flames for salary cap purposes. Veteran forward Paul Byron, who has yet to play this season while dealing with hip surgery is still yet to skate, but is making progress, albeit slowly, off the ice. Byron, 33, is in the last year of a four-year, $13.6MM deal.
  • After a difficult outing last night against the Ottawa Senators, Tomas Nosek’s absence from tonight’s lineup would seem like a healthy scratch as a simple response to his play, but that’s not necessarily the case according to Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery. As Montgomery tells Boston Hockey Now’s Joe Haggerty, “It’s maintenance. It’s nothing serious, but we just didn’t want him playing in the back-to-back [games].” That strategy is sensible, and one Montgomery actually deployed earlier this season when Brad Marchand came back from injury. However, tonight is the first game Nosek has missed all season, which has included a few back-to-backs, and there’s been no news thus far of on any injury. Through 34 games, Nosek has three goals and four assists to go along with a stellar 58.3% faceoff percentage and steady penalty kill work. If Nosek’s absence is in any way performance related, it’s interesting to note Boston’s trust of Nosek thus far this season, giving 92.8% of his starts in the defensive zone.

Vancouver Canucks Recall Collin Delia

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For the last few days, the Vancouver Canucks have been swapping Arturs Silovs and Collin Delia back and forth in order to keep both fresh. That continued today with Silovs heading back to the AHL and Delia recalled under emergency conditions.

With Thatcher Demko out since the start of December, the Canucks have been relying heavily on Spencer Martin to carry the load. Delia did get one game at the NHL level a few weeks ago but otherwise, the swaps continue to allow him to stay sharp by playing in the AHL.

Of course, Martin hasn’t been very good for the Canucks, posting an .885 save percentage behind a leaky defensive unit. In each of his last two starts – losses to the St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets – he has allowed five goals on 27 shots. With the Canucks set to start a back-to-back tonight against the Seattle Kraken, before traveling to Edmonton to face Connor McDavid and the Oilers tomorrow night, Delia might get another chance to play.

After that, the team doesn’t have another back-to-back until January 14-15, meaning Martin will likely continue to start every game until Demko returns.

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