Thatcher Demko is arguably one of the more elite goaltenders in the NHL. The 28 year old has been a pillar for the Nucks between the pipes, including several Vezina Trophy nominations. Although he's proven to be an elite goalie, Demko's NHL career has been plagued with injuries, hindering his longevity during regular season campaigns.
Yesterday during Friedman's 32 Thoughts Podcast, he give reports indicating that Demko will be playing through the 2024-25 season with an irreparable injury. To make matters worse, backup goaltender Arturs Silovs is also dealing with a nagging injury and was unavailable for Latvia's Olympic qualifying matchups in August. Silovs was lights absolutely out against the Oilers during the second round of the 2024 NHL playoffs.
According to Friedman, there may not be a timeline to when Demko can return to game action. Friedman also stated that the injury Demko has sustained will need to be nursed throughout the season as surgery is unable to fix the issue.
Demko became a Vezina Trophy finalist for the first time by going 35-14-2 with a 2.45 GAA, .918 save percentage and five shutouts in 51 games of the 2023-24 season. He helped the Canucks win the Pacific Division, their first division title in 10 years, and finish with 109 points, 26 more than in 2022-23.
Source: Oilers Daily
Thatcher Demko may deal with chronic injury throughout his career
POLL | ||
Will Thatcher Demko be out half the year? | ||
Yes | 77 | 87.5 % |
No | 11 | 12.5 % |
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