It has been a quiet offseason on the Thatcher Demko news front. But CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal joined Sportsnet 650’s Halford and Brough to discuss what he’s hearing — and not hearing — regarding the health of the Canucks’ starting goaltender.

“Training camp is around the corner, and here we are in mid-August, and nobody’s really talking about Demko [and] what’s going on,” Dhaliwal replied when asked what the latest he’s hearing on Demko. “What I am hearing is that he is progressing, but no timetable as to when he’s going to be 100% healthy.”

This may come as a concern to Canucks fans, given where we are in the offseason. Demko suffered a knee injury in Game 1 of the Canucks’ opening playoff series against the Nashville Predators. The Canucks netminder wouldn’t draw back into the lineup during their 13-game playoff run.

Instead, Vancouver had no choice but to turn to veteran goaltender Casey DeSmith for Game 2 against the Predators. The Canucks backup goaltender would struggle in his opening game, allowing three goals on just 15 shots in a 4-1 loss. But DeSmith bounced back in the following game, allowing just one goal on 30 shots in a 2-1 win.

It just went from bad to worse for the Canucks crease, as DeSmith was now a late scratch after sustaining an injury late in Game 3. The club later announced the decision to give DeSmith a break was more precautionary, given Demko’s injury.

However, Arturs Silovs took the crease and ran with it. The 23-year-old goaltender finished with a 5-5 playoff record, with a 2.91 goals against average and a .898 save percentage, with one shutout. And although the future may look bright with Silovs, Dhaliwal mentioned his thoughts on how the club may handle this situation.

“That means for me, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Canucks continue to poke around the goalie market again,” Dhaliwal added. “The Canucks may need insurance, just in case, which is a good move on their part. This is the time of the season to talk to players’ agents about PTOs (professional tryouts).”

Many believed Demko would be ready for Game 6 or 7 return. And if not, then it was expected he would be ready for Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Stars. In terms of the 28-year-old goaltender’s future, it’s probably a good thing he didn’t suit up and risk re-injury, which would only hinder the 2024-2025 season.

“Now, Demko’s coming off the back-to-back knee injuries, so sometimes rehab is fast, and sometimes rehab is slow,” Dhaliwal said. “Canucks, I’ve been told, have been worried about Demko’s rehab going back to the NHL draft. I think by that time, Demko had not skated since Game 7 against the Oilers.”

“I’m not hearing any setbacks on Demko. [I’m] not hearing anything super bad about Demko’s rehab. But sometimes you’ve got to be prepared for the unprepared. So I think they might be poking around the goalie market, maybe a PTO, who knows.”

Could the Canucks be looking for a veteran goaltender to sign to a PTO? Martin Jones, Anti Raanta and Alex Stalock highlight the top three unrestricted free-agent goaltenders still without a contract.

“I asked if he had any medical procedures this summer, and I get absolutely radio silence on the other end,” Dhaliwal expressed. “But we have to understand; this is your starting goaltender who’s coming off two serious injuries. He needs time; he’s a big goaltender. This is why the importance of a good veteran backup like Casey DeSmith is so important.”

After a successful first season in Vancouver, DeSmith finished with a 12-9-6 record in 29 games, accumulating a 2.89 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage. However, after the club moved forward with Silovs in the playoffs, the 33-year-old found a new home as he signed with the Dallas Stars to backup Jake Oettinger.

Dhaliwal rounded out his interview by voicing his concerns about Demko.

“I’m not super concerned about Demko; I just think you have to protect yourselves. I just heard this week that they’re again poking around the goalie market, just making some calls, that’s all. The red flag is not out; he should be okay. But maybe his rehab is not going as fast as some like.”

Listen to Dhaliwal’s full interview on Halford and Brough here!

What do you think, Canucks fans? Are you worried about the health of goaltender Thatcher Demko moving forward?