The Vancouver Canucks have made a strategic move to place goaltender Thatcher Demko on LTIR. General Manager Patrik Allvin revealed that his starter has been retroactively placed on LTIR, while forward Arshdeep Bains has been recalled from Abbotsford (AHL). The move means Demko won’t be eligible to play until April 6.
Demko sustained a knee injury on March 9 during the game against the Winnipeg Jets, leading to his sidelining. He has been deemed week-to-week due to the injury, necessitating him to miss a minimum of 10 games and a total of 24 days from the retroactive date before he can resume play. It’s important to note, that because Demko can return on April 6, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he will. The Canucks aren’t going to rush him back. Darren Dreger reports that the Canucks are nervous and want to take precautions with him.
Is Moving Demko to LTIR Concerning?
However, Rick Dhaliwal got into the discussion and noted that it’s not a huge concern that the Canucks moved him to LTIR. So too, Canucks’ head coach Rick Tocchet confirmed the move to put Thatcher Demko on LTIR was cap related. Vancouver wanted room to recall players and this move isn’t an indication Demko’s recovery has taken a step back.
He added that Demko’s injury timeline hasn’t changed and he isn’t concerned that six games won’t be enough for him to get sharp. Asked about a timeline, “I think there’s a date. But I don’t have a hard date right now. There’s a game plan.”
The 28-year-old Demko has appeared in 49 games for Vancouver this season, going 34-13-2 with a .917 save percentage and 2.47 goals-against average.
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