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Inside the Canucks’ Quiet Maintenance Conversation with Thatcher Demko

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | Last updated Nov 7, 2025 5:17 PM ET

With news that the Vancouver Canucks didn’t have goaltender Thatcher Demko at practice and that he might not be available to play, concerns about another injury surfaced. However, the Canucks aren’t worried about Demko’s short-term health; they’re worried about his long-term game.

After previous injury issues and years of carrying a heavy workload and setting the tone for the team, the star goaltender is taking what the coaching staff calls “personal maintenance time.” Head coach Adam Foote explained after practice on Friday that this decision wasn’t sudden — it’s part of a plan the organization developed with Demko months ago.

“We asked him this summer, we had conversations with him to take care of himself,” Foote said. “In a condensed schedule when he feels he needs a little bit of time off, that’s what he’s doing. I don’t want to say words that people don’t like — like ‘maintenance’ — but that’s really what it is.”

Foote compared the situation to the natural adjustments every veteran makes (or should make) as their career progresses.

“You play a long time — it’s not Thatcher — but say you have a back surgery early in your career,” he continued. “As you get later in your career, there are times where you can feel something else come. You might have a kind of a maintenance day, or some time to work on something. So that’s it.”

No Reason To Panic On Demko’s Status

In other words, Demko not being available isn’t about injury or panic. It’s about foresight. The Canucks know that protecting their goaltender now means having him healthy when it matters most.

Foote also emphasized how hard it was for Demko himself to take that advice.

“He’s such a great leader that he doesn’t want to ever miss a day,” Foote said. “Even his teammates in the summer, in the leadership meeting, one thing we always talked about was, ‘Demmer, you’ve got to know when to go and take care of you,’ and he’s doing what we asked him to do. I like that.”

For now, Kevin Lankinen will share the crease as the Canucks navigate a busy stretch that includes the Blue Jackets, Avalanche, and Jets.

Whether Demko’s rest lasts a few days or longer remains to be seen — but one thing is clear: this break is by design, not by concern.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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