The Vancouver Canucks will be without goalie Thatcher Demko while he recovers from what head coach Travis Green is calling a “slight sprain.”
This puts the the Canucks in a tough spot, as OHL goaltender Michael DiPietro remains with the club on an emergency basis and both of their AHL goaltenders, Ivan Kulbakov and Michael Leighton, are not signed to NHL contracts.
Demko suffered the injury in warmup before Monday’s win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Jacob Markstrom is expected to make his sixth straight start against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.
Unless the team makes another move, the 19-year-old DiPietro can remain with the Canucks for as long as the “emergency” that prompted his recall is in effect. While it’s unlikely he’ll get into a game without an injury to Markstrom, DiPietro says he’s still enjoying the experience.
“It’s definitely a cool opportunity, stepping on the ice and soaking it all in and just being around the guys,” he said Wednesday. “I’m just going to take it for the experience and what it is and just kind of soak it all in.”
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