Thatcher Demko Return Brings Stability To Canucks Net For Rest Of Season – Hockey Writers – Vancouver Canucks

During today's morning skate, Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet confirmed that goalkeeper Thatcher Demko will return to work as he faces tonight's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. It will be Demko's first NHL game since exiting with a back injury in the first round of the 2024 Playoffs against the Nashville Predators. Since the injury, the Canucks have tried a number of different options in net and found it useful in the offseason by signing Kevin Lankinen. Lankinen has been exactly what the Canucks needed without their starting goaltender and has a 12-3-3 record and a spot on Finland's 4 Nations Face-Off roster. With Demko finally back, this will bring stability to the Canucks crease and these players could be one of the best tandems in the league.

Demko's Return Is What the Canucks Need

Demko's net play is exactly what the Canucks need to climb to the top of the standings. The American netminder has been a mainstay for the Canucks for nearly five seasons and was a big reason for their success last regular season. He helped lead the Canucks to a first place finish in their division and had he not been injured in the first round, perhaps the team could have beaten the Edmonton Oilers and advanced beyond the second round. Now he returns to the Vancouver roster with the Canucks in a comfortable position as the team in third place in the Pacific Division with fellow goal scorer Lankinen stealing games for the Canucks.

With Demko back, the Canucks have a good chance to have one of the top goalies in the NHL. The team's plan may be to send Arturs Silovs to the American Hockey League (AHL) so he can play some games with the Abbotsford Canucks and Vancouver will run with Demko and Lankinen as their two goaltenders. If they play at their best, both of them could be the first goal scorers in the NHL. Lankinen has proven this season that he is far and away the best goaltender for the Canucks when Demko is injured and Demko has been Vancouver's goaltender for the past few years. This could be what makes the Canucks return to the Stanley Cup contenders discussion as these two goalies will help them win games and give them the rewards they didn't get when Demo came out.

Perfect Time

This news could not have come at a better time for the Canucks. The team has been treading water for most of the season and hasn't been able to put together a strong lineup since winning four games in a row back in October. This team has never achieved that success since the start of the season and the other thing was their goal situation as Silovs did not play as they played in the qualifiers last season. With Demko coming in now, the Canucks are ready to start playing with some wins in a row and get back to being one of the top teams in the Western Conference.

Related: Kevin Lankinen Saves Canucks Season

The best teams in the modern NHL are the ones that have two goaltenders or at least two that you feel comfortable playing in front of. The best example of this was when the Boston Bruins had Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark as their tandem two seasons ago. In 2022-23, both helped the Bruins set a record for most wins in a single season and both goaltenders were a big reason for that as the players in front of them knew that the man between their goals could give them a chance to win. . If Lankinen and Demko can get along as well as they have been, the Canucks will rise to the top and be a much better team than they have shown so far this season.

Demko's return will greatly improve the Canucks as he is a veteran in this team but will help them win more games. If he can work well with Lankinen and be a good tandem with him, Vancouver is being tested for another run at the Stanley Cup.