The Vancouver Canucks starting netminder and Vezina nominee in Thatcher Demko has been injured since Game 1 of the first round, which has dramatically changed the trajectory of their postseason. Rick Tocchet went to Casey DeSmith in Game 2 of that series, before turning to Arturs Silovs ever since with DeSmith unavailable for Game 3.
Demko is reportedly dealing with a knee injury to the same knee that had him sidelined from March 9 to April 16. Based on Kevin Woodley’s reporting during radio hits with Jason Gregor, it was known that Demko was not going to be returning at 100%, but would be healthy enough to play under playoff conditions, with the Canucks giving him a couple start to get used to playing with that impediment.
Demko so far in playoffs
After two starts against Calgary and Winnipeg to close out the season, Demko made his playoff debut (with fans) in Game 1 against Nashville. He looked back in Vezina form, making a big save in the opening moments of the game on Luke Evanglista.
However, later in the game, Jeremy Lauzon was pushed into the crease, twisting his previously injured left knee in the process. Demko finished out the game, but looked uncomfortable and has not played since.
What to expect for Round 2
Demko is reportedly an option to appear later in the second round, but just how close is he? How effective will he be if he returns? What is he dealing with? By consolidating all the reporting, we can get a pretty decent idea. Here are the key reports, along with the fact that Woodley said he would not be fully healthy in the playoffs and doubted his appearance in the second round:
- Rick Tocchet: The new injury is not related to the previous knee injury
- Rick Dhaliwal: Demko is not done for the playoffs, and is week to week
- Sara Civian: Demko tore his ACL
- Frank Seravalli (on May 10): The Canucks are hoping for Game 6 or 7. He hasn’t begun taking shots or dropping to his knees.
None of the info truly conflicts, so what does it mean? Based on the information, Demko likely had a partial MCL tear back in March, somewhere between a more severe Grade 2 and less severe Grade 3 tear. Based on the timeline, he rehabbed his knee to the point where he could play, and more particularly, get into the butterfly. But as has been reported, he wasn’t fully healthy, meaning that ligament was not fully intact.
He returned to play, and was able to play through his ailment but it likely was not completely comfortable. Additionally, the other ligaments in his knee would be compensating for the weakened originally injured ligament. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough to play.
Then the collision with Jeremy Lauzon occurs, where his left knee once again gets twisted as he tries to dig in an edge to avoid getting ran back into the net. With the weakened MCL, his ACL likely suffered a Grade 2 or partial tear, confirming Civian’s report. Most partial tears do not require surgery, which left the possibility of a return during the playoffs.
However, Demko is now dealing with two partial torn knee ligaments at a position that puts more stress on the knee than any other in sports. With Demko now skating, and as of Sunday, taking shots, it’s possible to play through such injuries. However, the risk tolerance is what comes into play here. If Demko were to enter game action as is, another collision could fully tear one or both of the damaged ligaments, effectively ending his chance of playing net year.
My best guess is that Demko is rehabbing as much as he can, trying to build up the muscles around the knee to protect the ligaments while also repairing the ligaments themselves. Like Connor McDavid did after his PCL injury, he is likely spending time in a hyperbaric chamber to speed up those tendons’ healing process. But with Demko yet to go into a butterfly since his injury, he looks to be a long shot to play this week.
The Canucks management (and possibly ownership) is probably involved in the decision making process. Demko and the Canucks will have to weigh the upside of where they are in the playoffs, the risk of further injury to his knee, and the marginal performance upgrade that Demko would provide in his current state compared to Arturs Silovs or Casey DeSmith.
