Canucks’ Thatcher Demko Could Miss Series with Injury

The Vancouver Canucks are going to be without starting goalie Thatcher Demko for Game 2 against the Nashville Predators, and possibly longer than that, after a new injury surfaced on Tuesday morning.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman first reported that Demko was injured and questionable for the rest of the series against the Predators.

Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed to the media shortly thereafter that Demko was indeed injured, and that the injury is not related to the knee injury Demko suffered earlier in the season. Tocchet pointed out that Demko is day-to-day, so the 28-year-old is not guaranteed to miss extensive time, or more than Game 2.

Rick Tocchet confirms that Thatcher Demko will not play tonight. Adds that it wasn’t the old injury but he’s dealing with a day to day thing. #Canucks

— Kate Pettersen (@CanucksReporter) April 23, 2024

DeSmith starts for Canucks

“I’m real confident. I love his demeanor; really well-liked guy,” Tocchet said of DeSmith. “We’re not looking for anything spectacular. We’re looking for him to be Casey.”

DeSmith had an up-and-down tenure as the Canucks’ interim starter earlier in the season, finishing the regular season with a 12-9-6 record, one shutout, and a .896 save percentage across 29 games played.

Tocchet- “I’m real confident. I love his demeanour, really well liked guy… We’re not looking for anything spectacular, we’re looking for him to be Casey.” #Canucks

— Kate Pettersen (@CanucksReporter) April 23, 2024

Though he spent five seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins, DeSmith has only managed one playoff appearance in his career. On May 3, 2022, DeSmith made a spot start in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the New York Rangers, stopping 48 of 51 shots (.941 save percentage) before exiting with an injury of his own.

Louis Domingue came into that game and stopped all 17 shots he faced as the Penguins won in triple overtime.

Current Canucks forward Teddy Blueger was with Pittsburgh at that time, so if anyone is confident in DeSmith and knows what he can do in these types of situations, it’s Blueger.

The Canucks, who won Game 1 by a score of 4-2, will host the Predators at 7 p.m. at Rogers Arena for Game 2.

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