Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko will not join the team on their upcoming five-game road trip due to a lower-body injury suffered in a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on February 8, as confirmed by Thomas Drance of the Athletic:
The injury is not related to his knee, and Demko is officially listed as “week-to-week.” He is scheduled for re-evaluation upon the team’s return from Seattle next weekend.
The injury sidelines Demko during a critical stretch of the season as Vancouver fights to stay in the playoff race. The Canucks are currently holding on to the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference with 63 points, three ahead of the Calgary Flames in the same amount of games.
The club’s upcoming road swing includes games against the Vegas Golden Knights on February 22, the Utah Hockey Club on February 23, the Los Angeles Kings on February 26, the Anaheim Ducks on February 27, and a matchup against the Seattle Kraken on March 1.
This is the second time that Demko will be sidelined this season, as the 29-year-old San Diego native was out for the first three months of the year due to a rare popliteus injury before returning in January for 17 starts.
With Demko sidelined, Kevin Lankinen is expected to take on most of the workload. The 29-year-old Finn has posted a .905 save percentage, 2.53 goals against average (GAA), four shutouts, and 19 wins in 32 starts — currently stronger than Demko’s .891 save percentage and 2.87 GAA.
Lankinen will be returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off, where he helped Team Finland earn their only win of the tournament against Team Sweden.
Artūrs Šilovs has been recalled from Abbotsford on an emergency basis and is expected to serve as Lankinen’s backup during Demko’s absence. The 23-year-old Latvian netminder has played in seven games this season, recording a .847 save percentage and a 4.11 GAA. Nikita Tolopilo will join the team as a practice goaltender.