The timeline for goaltender Thatcher Demko’s return to the Vancouver Canucks remains uncertain.
Canucks co-president Daniel Sedin stated on Tuesday morning on CHEK that “there’s no timeline for him,” referring to 30-year-old starting goaltender Thatcher Demko, who underwent season-ending hip surgery in January.
Demko has been skating independently but has not yet joined the team’s captain’s skate. These informal workouts are part of the preparation for training camp, which begins on September 17 in Penticton.
The Canucks’ season opener will be an away game against the Edmonton Oilers on September 29.
On Tuesday at Rogers Arena, backup goaltender Kevin Lankinen, 31, shared net duties during the captain’s skate with Nikita Tolopilo, 26, who spent last season splitting time between Vancouver and the AHL Abbotsford Canucks, and Chris Driedger, 32, who is attending training camp on a professional tryout contract after playing last season in the KHL.
Injuries have restricted Demko to just 43 games over the past two seasons. However, in 2023-24, he finished as the runner-up for the Vezina Trophy after posting a 35-14-2 record with a 2.45 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage.
Having a goaltender of Demko’s caliber regularly available in the net would undoubtedly bring stability to the younger roster as Vancouver embarks on a rebuild.
“Thatcher has been working diligently,” Sedin explained. “We want him to return at 100 per cent, and when that happens, we will see.”
“He has worked incredibly hard this summer. It will be exciting to get him back, and it will be important for our group.”
Sedin’s remarks align with what general manager Ryan Johnson told Postmedia two weeks ago, explaining: “I’ve said all along with Thatcher we’ve never really been operating on timelines. When you come this far with something, why not make sure you take the last final steps? He’s had a great summer physically and mentally.”
Sedin also noted on Tuesday that there are no immediate plans to name a team captain. Vancouver is currently one of six NHL teams without a designated captain.
The team traded captain Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild last December. Vancouver last lacked a captain during the 2018-19 season, following the retirement of Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Henrik had held the role for eight seasons.
Bo Horvat assumed the “C” at the start of the 2019-20 campaign.
“If you mention our team,” Daniel said, referring to those glory years, “I think we probably had seven or eight captains. We’re trying to create that culture here as well.”
“It shouldn’t be up to just one or two guys to be the leaders. We want a committee-based leadership approach, and from that, a captain will emerge.”
“There’s no rush on our end. I believe they will grow up together and become part of this organization. From there, we will make a decision.”
Sedin was also asked what a successful season would look like for the Canucks.
“I think we want to see growth from our young players. We want them to earn everything they get, but we also don’t want them to be overshadowed by too many veterans,” Sedin said. “I think that’s a fine line to walk.”
“I think we want to see some leadership evolve. I know it’s a tight group right now, but we want to see that evolve as well, where they come to the rink every day, pushing each other to get better, and doing what’s best for this organization rather than just themselves, while keeping the bigger picture in mind.”
“I also appreciated R.J.’s (Johnson) comments. It’s not about the 7 p.m. moments; it’s about the 7 a.m. habits when they come to the rink. What are they doing on practice days? How do they treat our staff? What are their strategies after a win or a loss? These are things players must learn, and we want to be part of that journey. It’s exciting and something to look forward to. Fans and media may not see a lot of this, but we certainly want to monitor those 7 a.m. habits.”