Thatcher Demko‘s injury history has put his future with the Vancouver Canucks has been in question. And with Kevin Lankinen signing a new five-year deal, the team has declared which side they’re betting on.
Here We (Thatcher) Demko Again with Latest Injury
Demko’s latest injury happened during the Canucks’ final game before the 4 Nations Face-Off. He left the game at the 10-minute mark, surprising fans and teammates alike. What was then called a day-to-day injury has been downgraded to week-to-week. And now management’s already difficult offseason has another challenge.
Demko’s last game was on February 8, at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was riding high, having three wins, including a shutout, in his previous four. In those games, he went 3-0-1 with five goals against on 105 shots. Then, during a break in play, he skated to the bench and fans saw Lankinen between the pipes when they returned from commercial.
Head coach Rick Tocchet spoke to the press after the game, saying the injury “didn’t appear to be serious.” Tocchet has a reputation for honesty with reporters, and the claim wasn’t too unlikely. After all, the last time Demko pulled himself from a game, it was just a muscle pull in his back. He played again a week later, so having two weeks off before the Canucks returned to action would be a breeze.
Except here we are two weeks later and Demko is nowhere near returning.
It’s another day, another Thatcher Demko injury in Canucksland. In addition to missing the start of this season, he missed nearly three months in 2022-23 with a groin injury. That was after a knee injury late in 2021-22 that required surgery. Not including the offseason, Demko has lost over six months of game time to injuries in the last four seasons.
He is eligible for a contract extension on July 1st.
Thatcher Demko Injury, Artūrs Šilovs Opportunity
While this injury is the latest in a long line for Demko, it will give the players behind him a break. This isn’t great news for the Canucks, as no one has Demko’s ceiling. However, players are looking for opportunities while he recovers, and here it is.
Lankinen has carried the Canucks through Demko’s absences quite capably. He’s proven himself to be a decent 1A netminder, something no team was willing to gamble on at the start of the year.
The Finnish netminder is just three games short of his career-high for a single season, playing 34 before the break. He could easily hit 50 games this season. His .905 save percentage is middle of the pack for starters (30 or more games). He’s nothing close to Demko’s peak, but Demko hasn’t been, either.
Artūrs Šilovs, called up on Tuesday, is also looking for a shot at redemption. He and Lankinen were supposed to fight for the backup slot behind Demko. However, that changed with Demko. Šilovs played in just seven games, going 1-4-1 with 25 goals against. His .845 was an unpleasant surprise after a strong playoff run the year before.
Šilovs was in tough to stick with the NHL team, being the only Canucks netminder who was waiver exempt. Still, he didn’t make the decision hard for the coaches. Any chance to make up for that is welcome, and this upcoming five-game road trip with provide them. There are two back-to-back game sets, so expect Šilovs to play in two games. As for the rest of the season, that depends on Demko.
Too Much of a Meh Thing
Behind those two are Nikita Tolopilo, a 6’6″ Belarusian looking to break into the league; and Jiri Patera, with six games of NHL experience and wanting more. New arrival Ty Young has been putting in the work in the ECHL and could easily step into the AHL next season.
Tolopilo is in the second half of his two-year, two-way deal. He’s the primary starter in Abbotsford, taking the reins when Šilovs was up with Vancouver. He’s improved over his two years in North America, and could certainly be worth re-signing. He won’t be pushing for a role in the NHL next year, but if he’s happy to keep the main job in Abby, that could suit him.
Patera might not see things the same way. He has NHL experience but has only played seven AHL games so far this year. He also played a role in the Boston Bruins – Jeremy Swayman negotiations, with Boston plucking him off waivers in early October and then losing him to Vancouver again when Swayman signed.
Unfortunately for Patera and the Canucks, he injured his knee in early November and hasn’t played since. But with a second year on his deal, he’s going to be in the system at the start of next season. How long this Thatcher Demko injury keeps him out of the NHL can allow Patera to be an AHL starter.
With the awkward timing of Demko’s injury and Šilovs’ missed opportunity, there is a bit of a pile-up in Abbotsford. For as long as Demko is out it will be Tolopilo and Young in Abby, with Lankinen and Šilovs in Vancouver. Should Patera and Demko return at the same time, Young will go back to Kalamazoo and the three-headed monster will return to Abbotsford.
And Now, the Math
Lankinen is currently playing for $850,000 on a one-year deal. The team no doubt squeezed him on price, but the opportunity to play was here, too. While he was looking for a decent payout, opportunities elsewhere were strictly as a backup. He’s shown he can be a capable starter, and Vancouver knows it.
There was very little available on the free-agent goaltending front next year. As much as he may have liked the opportunities Vancouver offered him, this was his one big opportunity. At 30 years old, he was looking for a long-term deal as a starter – and he got it.
The five-year deal was a surprise, but not a complete shock. He has been a 1A this season, and a reliable player when Vancouver needed him. And $22.5 million is hard to turn down. The no-move clause is a bit of self-defence against this management group, given how trigger-happy they are.
One question remaining is how much the Canucks think Šilovs will improve. He’ll be turning 24 this year, so there is still some time. But he isn’t waiver-exempt anymore, meaning the team will want him for emergencies, but to get work in the AHL.
Ideally, Patera will recover to play with Šilovs so they can see him in a full season. This leaves the unsigned Tolopilo out, and if the Canucks want to keep him someone else is going to have to go.
Thatcher Demko’s Injury a Top-Heavy Problem
The most expensive Canucks goaltender is, of course, Demko. Vancouver doesn’t have anyone close to Demko’s talent level, in the pros or the pipeline. But he’s only good for the games he plays in, and that’s an unpredictable number. He’s 29 years old, recovering from a near-unique injury, and is owed $5 million for one more season before free agency.
The Canucks aren’t in bad shape next season as far as the salary cap is concerned. Lankinen is now a certainty, though Brock Boeser‘s next deal is an issue. Vancouver suddenly has an issue with talent at forward, and replacing Boeser would be an added challenge. If he leaves, they’ll have more space. But for who? And if he stays, it won’t be for one year.
In theory, the team could trade away Demko, but it will be at a loss. And there is always the chance that he recovers his old form, or something close to it. If that’s the case, he can be magical for just long enough… It’s hard to picture the team signing Demko until he shows he can play for more than a month at a time. Until then, well, they still have him for one more season.
In the short term, the next season and a half, having a tandem of Demko and Lankinen works fine. So long as there’s a third nearby for spare parts. But if that was the only consideration, then their decision would be easy, and, well, this is Vancouver after all.
No, the real question is if they think Šilovs or Patera or Tolopilo can graduate to the NHL, and when. Any offer made to Demko will be with his temporary availability in mind.
Main photo by: John Geliebte-Imagn Images
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