Canucks: The Thatcher Demko dilemma of injury versus durability, pay versus trade
How much is too much?
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If you're the Vancouver Canucks ' braintrust, assessing long-term competitiveness and compensation for starting goaltender Thatcher Demko is like the Rubik's Cube. Trying to properly align all sides can be tedious.
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At his best, Demko is among the NHL's elite stoppers, and a Vezina Trophy finalist nomination in 2024 spoke to superiority when healthy. In 51 games in 2023-24, before being sidelined by a freak popliteus knee-muscle strain, he posted career-best 2.45 goals-against average, .918 saves percentage and five shutouts.
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And there's the rub.
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From career hip, groin and knee ailments — plus that mysterious popliteus predicament at back of his knee in April of 2024 — a string of setbacks have tested the resolve to endure arduous rehabilitations. Demko did the work and nothing is impeding preparation for a heightened level of readiness next season.
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However, it's the unknown that makes durability and contract-extension parameters a double dilemma for management. Demko, 29, has a year remaining on his expiring extension at a $5-million US salary-cap hit, and his camp can start talking contract on July 1.
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'It's such a rare injury, but it could occur again if he were to have a movement or contact that causes the injury,' B.C. physician Dr. Harjas Grewal told Postmedia on Monday. 'Some of the ways it could happen are direct contact to the outer knee, or even just rotation of his knee while it's flexed.
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'Most muscles in the leg work to move the knee forward and backward. The popliteus is unique and important in starting flexion of the knee. To get into a butterfly, or any other position, the initial bending of the knee is initiated by the popliteus.
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'These types of plays happen a lot, and this injury is so rare that it would shock me to happen again. In terms of prevention, there's not much he could do outside of regular strengthening exercises and ensuring he has good mobility.
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'Managing his workload helps to reduce risk, but that's true for essentially all muscular injuries.'
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Demko missed 15 games this season with an undisclosed Feb. 8 ailment, but had an encouraging run before that setback. A 3-1-1 run featured an encouraging 1.25 GAA, .952 saves percentage, and a shutout.
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How the Canucks' crease conundrum plays out is like that Rubik's Cube. Kevin Lankinen, 30, has a five-year extension at $4.5 million in annual average value kicking in next season. And Arturs Silovs, 24, has a year left on his deal at $850,000 before becoming a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.
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