As All-Star goaltender Thatcher Demko readies himself to return to game action, the biggest question facing the Vancouver Canucks now becomes choosing the right time to get him back between the pipes.
Demko is travelling with the Canucks this week on a six-game road trip that runs until Dec. 3 but Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, speaking on the Saturday Headlines segment of Hockey Night in Canada, thinks the club may wait until they return to Rogers Arena for Demko's long-awaited first start.
"The biggest question for the Canucks is, do they want to start him for his first game at home?" Friedman reported. "With everything they have there, would it be more comfortable for them to start him there?"
Demko, 28, has been sidelined since April 21, when he suffered a rare injury in the Canucks' playoff round against the Nashville Predators. The team later revealed that Demko suffered a torn popliteus muscle — an injury not yet suffered by a professional hockey player.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday before the team's road trip, Demko said he believes he's making good progress and classifies himself as day-to-day.
The 2024 Vezina Trophy runner-up put up career numbers last season, posting a .918 save percentage and a 2.45 goals-against average, with five shutouts and a 35-14 record.
Friedman also reported that injured forward Brock Boeser, who has been practising in a non-contact jersey, is also travelling with the team and could return from injury on this trip. He doesn't expect J.T. Miller, who is taking a leave of absence from the team, to play until the Canucks return to Vancouver.
COMMENTS
When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.