Thatcher Demko could be back with the Canucks before the end of November

The Vancouver Canucks have been without goaltender Thatcher Demko since Game 1 of the team’s first-round playoff series against the Nashville Predators last year – but that could change quite soon.

Demko has been out due to a popliteus muscle injury on the back of his knee. The club has managed well without him, with Arturs Silovs leading them to the second round of the playoffs last year.

This season has been all Kevin Lankinen, who is a big reason why the Canucks sit third in the Pacific Division with a 7-2-3 record with 17 points in 12 games. But with Demko potentially back in the coming weeks, as insider Frank Seravalli said on Daily Faceoff Live on Friday, it could be another reason for the team to celebrate:

Tyler Yaremchuk: “There are a couple of injury situations we’re keeping an eye on this week in Icebreakers. Starting out in Vancouver: Frank, still no Thatcher Demko, but are we getting closer to seeing him return to the Canucks’ crease?”

Frank Seravalli: “We are. There’s a growing hope that Thatcher Demko will be back for the Vancouver Canucks before the end of November. That’s a big step forward. You saw him join the boys for the optional morning skate in Los Angeles yesterday. Now, the goal will be to stack two weeks of solid practice on top of each other. Demko is feeling pretty good. He’s feeling confident, like he has turned the corner. The Canucks aren’t putting any pressure or timeline on it, but that is the hope is that with two weeks of solid practice that Demko could return before the end of the month.

“So that would be a big development and probably not coming at a moment too soon. I know that Kevin Lankinen has held the fort down, but she loves numbers have been really bad this year. And so they probably need to fix that situation if they can and, not for nothing, but just to have the backbone of your team back could probably go a long way.”

You can watch the full episode below: