The Vancouver Canucks will take on the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the second round. Thatcher Demko has been sidelined with an injury since Game 1 of the previous round, and his timeline for a return is highly undetermined.
Another thing of fuzzy likelihood is the potential return of Elias Lindholm following this season. An unrestricted free agent, he started his Canucks tenure with a major slump but proved his value in the first round with timely goals and big moments.
As for Demko, Dhali doesn't expect him to return early in the series and he was rather adamant about that point. However, he did clarify that a return at the tail end of the series could be possible.
Arturs Silovs has held down the fort in Demko's absence, as did Casey DeSmith for a brief period before being injured himself. Silovs recorded his first career playoff shutout in just his third start in the Game 6 series-clinching 1-0 win against the Nashville Predators. He will almost certainly get the nod for the beginning of this all-Canadian matchup.
