Should the Canucks Stop Worrying About Demko's Return?

There is a temptation with Thatcher Demko to look at the calendar and start counting the days. Training camp is coming. The regular season isn't far behind. So naturally, the question becomes: Will Demko be ready? Right now, nobody seems to have a good answer. Elliotte Friedman says there is no firm timeline, while Rick Dhaliwal has reported that Demko is skating and working out but may not be ready when camp opens.

In a rebuilding season, is it time to be careful with Demko?

But maybe the better question for the Canucks isn't when Demko will be back. Maybe it's whether Vancouver should care very much about having him back for September. This is a rebuilding team. There isn't a Stanley Cup sitting on the table in October. And after everything Demko has been through over the past couple of seasons, the worst thing Vancouver could do is turn a long-term health issue into a short-term deadline.

The Canucks have already learned that the hard way. Demko has managed just 43 games over the past two seasons, and his latest hip injury required surgery. He is also beginning a new three-year, $25.5-million contract, which makes his health a pretty important part of Vancouver's plans. So let him take the time he needs.

The Canucks have good goalies even without Demko.

Kevin Lankinen isn't Demko, and nobody should pretend he is. But Lankinen has enough NHL experience to carry the load for a while if necessary. Nikita Tolopilo is another option, and the Canucks don't need to ask either goalie to become a 60-game starter. They just need to get through the first part of the season if Demko isn't ready.

And that might actually be the team’s silver lining. For years, the Canucks have been in a position where every Demko injury felt like a crisis because they were trying to win now. That's different during a rebuild. If Demko needs an extra month, so be it. If he needs six weeks, that's still better than bringing him back too soon and watching him disappear again.

The bigger concern isn't missing Demko for a few games. It's what happens if Vancouver doesn't have a healthy Demko for the next few years.

Demko can still be the Canucks future. There’s no need to risk that future now.

That's why the $8.5-million annual commitment matters. The Canucks didn't sign Demko to be their goalie for one training camp. They signed him as an important part of the franchise's next stage. And that means the smartest thing Vancouver can do right now may also be the simplest.

Don't rush him. Let Lankinen handle things. Let Tolopilo get some work. Let the younger options play. Let the rebuilding process continue. If Demko is ready for opening night, great. If he isn't, the season isn't over.

The real victory would be getting Thatcher Demko healthy enough that, when Vancouver is ready to make a serious run at something, its best goalie is actually there. That's a lot more important than whether he is standing in the crease on the first day of training camp.