<p><a href="https://canucksarmy.com/">Vancouver Canucks</a> goaltender Thatcher Demko is sidelined week-to-week with a lower-body injury, per <a href="https://x.com/ThomasDrance/status/1891980215271780533">The Athletic’s Thomas Drance</a>.</p>



<p>Drance adds that Demko’s injury is not knee related, an ailment that kept him out of the lineup for the first 24 games of the 2024-25 campaign. Demko then missed two consecutive games in early January due to a back injury.</p>



<p>Upon the conclusion of the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Canucks will begin a five-game road trip, while Demko will be re-evaluated following the conclusion of the trip on March 1.</p>



<p>Limited to 17 appearances this season, Demko has posted a 6-6-3 record coupled with a .911 save percentage and 2.45 goals-against average. Last season, Demko finished as the runner-up for the Vezina Trophy after reaching a career-high 35 wins through 51 outings alongside a .918 save percentage, 2.45 goals-against average, and five shutouts.</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="141"></div>



<p>Originally chosen 36th overall by Vancouver in the 2014 NHL Draft, Demko has made 236 career appearances with the Canucks in which he has recorded a 122-87-20 mark with a .911 save percentage, 2.80 goals-against average, and nine shutouts.</p>



<p>Per <a href="https://puckpedia.com/player/thatcher-demko">PuckPedia</a>, the 29-year-old netminder is in the fourth year of a five-year contract that carries a $5-million annual average value.</p>



<p>With Demko sidelined, the Canucks will turn to backup netminder Kevin Lankinen. Through 34 appearances this season, the 29-year-old has posted a 19-8-7 record coupled with a .905 save percentage, 2.53 goals-against average, and four shutouts.</p>



<p>Earlier this year, Lankinen set an NHL record in becoming the first goaltender to begin a season with 10 consecutive road victories. Most recently, in representing Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off, Lankinen went 1-1-0 through two appearances in which he posted an .811 save percentage and 4.83 goals-against average.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="146"></div>



<p>The Canucks sit 26-18-11 to hold down the second wildcard seed in the Western Conference with 63 points.</p>
