December 6th, 2024
Alex Rickman
He’s back.
Following a months-long absence, Thatcher Demko appears to finally be ready for action and will back up Kevin Lankinen when the Canucks host the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight. At a time when the Canucks seem to be beginning to build some momentum following the success of their recent road trip, the return of their Vezina nominee backstop could not be coming at a better time.
So what does this mean for the Canucks? For Kevin Lankinen, it likely means that his run as the starter in Vancouver is nearing its end, but we should still expect to see plenty of the Finnish netminder over the remainder of the season. It’s no secret that the Canucks have overworked Demko in recent years, largely due to the lack of a backup who can supply the level of performance a goalie like Demko can. While Lankinen may not be Demko, he’s made a strong impression during his time as a Canuck, and will all but certainly still be used for a significant number of games as the Canucks look to give Demko the time off he has so desperately needed for years now.
As for Arturs Silovs, while it has not been made official at the time of writing, he will all but certainly be sent down to Abbotsford in the very near future, where he will likely remain as the starter for the rest of the season. Silovs simply has not been able to match his playoff form this season as the rest of the league seems to have learned how to play him. Some more time in the AHL to regain his confidence and work on some of the flaws in his game at a lower level will be in everyone’s best interest, as Silovs still has plenty of potential if he can clean up some of the weak spots in his game. And, if needed, Silovs has shown an ability to step up for the Canucks in big moments before, so perhaps if a crisis emerges we can see a return of the Silovs we were treated to last postseason.
So what can we expect to see from Demko when he does make his return? That’s a hard question to answer, as it remains unclear how his injury will affect the way he plays going forward, but it’s important to remain patient if the Demko we see out of the gate is not the best version of Thatcher Demko. A lot is asked of athletes when they return from an injury, which is by no means an easy thing to do. Demko may take some time to find his rhythm again and get comfortable playing the position, and that’s fine. As long as he’s feeling ready to play and is on the ice, he’s doing the best he can, and it’s important that fans remain supportive throughout his return process.
For now, though, it’s time to get excited. It’s been a long time since we saw Thatcher Demko anywhere near NHL ice. Even if he’s not getting the start tonight, it’s a big deal that he’s feeling ready to back Lankinen up. The return to action is soon, and once Demko gets going again, this team could be hard to stop. It’s noticeable how much better having Demko in net can make everyone on this Canucks roster, so let’s get ready to see what this team looks like with Demmer back between the pipes.