The Utica Comets will be getting a big boost this week as Thatcher Demko has finally medically cleared and has been assigned to the Comets:

Demko had suffered a concussion in Canucks training camp and had started the year on season-opening injured reserve. He was close to returning before flying back to Utica to start to get ready for the season and then unfortunately suffered a setback. Finally, Demko was able to return to the ice over the last few weeks and slowly work his way back into game form. Once he was medically cleared, the Canucks had to just paper him down to Utica, despite him being there for the last little while.

Demko should give the Comets a stabilizing force in net as they are without Richard Bachman and have been relying heavily on Ivan Kulbakov.

Concussions are always really difficult and it’s unfortunate that Demko was off the ice for so long. Hopefully, he can get comfortable in the crease quickly as there could be a chance that he could get some spot duty in Vancouver throughout the season due to injuries or the organization wanting to see where he is at. Demko is not eligible for waivers until 2020-21, so there isn’t a big push to ensure he is ready for next season.