Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko is set to return to the lineup after missing 12 straight games due to a lower-body injury. He will play when the Canucks host the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night. Center Elias Pettersson is also nearing a return from an upper-body injury.
Thatcher Demko, the Vancouver Canucks' No. 1 goaltender, is preparing to make his return after a lower-body injury sidelined him for 12 consecutive games. The injury occurred during a 5-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 11, when he left after allowing three goals on eight shots in the first period. Demko had also missed back-to-back games on Nov. 8 and 9 prior to that. He rejoined practice with the team on Dec. 4 and expressed confidence in his readiness following Tuesday's session.
"I feel ready to go," Demko said. "We knew exactly what was going on. It was a minor tweak of something, and pretty much just had to give it time and get the reps back, so we've done that and excited to be hopefully back in the lineup."
This season, Demko has posted a 5-4-0 record with a 2.80 goals-against average and .903 save percentage in 10 appearances. He recently signed a three-year, $25.5 million contract extension on July 1, carrying an $8.5 million average annual value, which begins next season. Last year, injuries limited him to 23 games, including a knee issue that kept him out until Dec. 10, 2024. Turning 30 on Monday, Demko acknowledged the frustration of the setback.
"There's a narrative around the whole situation, but any guy can go through and have a great summer and then get hurt," he said. "I have been sitting there pretty much just beating myself up for a week and you feel guilty and you feel bummed out and [ticked] off and all those things. But it's part of the game, and I can only control so much."
Demko emphasized his focus on supporting the struggling Canucks, who sit at 11-16-3 and have lost eight of their last 10 games (2-7-1), placing them 31st in the NHL standings. He dismissed immediate thoughts of the 2026 Olympics, prioritizing team impact.
Meanwhile, forward Elias Pettersson, who leads the team with 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) alongside defenseman Quinn Hughes, missed the past two games due to an upper-body injury. He underwent additional testing but could resume practice on Wednesday. Coach Adam Foote provided an optimistic update: "How I feel today about it compared to yesterday is a big step as far as the news we got. He should be practicing tomorrow, but we'll find out. … I think he should be fine, but it was a good day today for him."