Vancouver Canucks Netminder Issued Pressure-Filled Message Ahead of 2025-26 Season
Photo credit: NHL
A Vancouver Canucks netminder has been named as one of the National Hockey League's biggest bounce back candidate heading into the 2025-26 season.
As everyone knows, the 2024-25 campaign was a very disappointing one for the Vancouver Canucks and as a result of that, a number of players on the team's NHL roster had poor showings throughout the year.
Elias Pettersson and Nils Hoglander are among those that are hoping last year was a fluke and that they'll be able to return to form starting this fall, but there's another name on the Canucks roster to keep a close eye on as we inch closer to training camp for the new season.
Vancouver Canucks netminder could be NHL's biggest bounce back candidate
The last 12+ months haven't been easy for Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko, who has dealt with numerous injuries dating back to the latter stages of the 2023-24 regular season, including one in the team's first game of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Demko eventually returned to action in early December, making his season debut against the St. Louis Blues, but sustained another injury in early February when facing the Toronto Maple Leafs that kept him out for six weeks.
At the end of the regular season, Demko spoke about those injuries he was dealing with and he believed that now he's back to full health and able to train without restrictions this summer, that he'll be able to return to his old self - a Vezina Trophy candidate.
"I mean, obviously, came into it in a tough situation. It was a frustrating year. Just tough mentally, physically. But you know, I felt like I came out of that second injury feeling really good about where I was headed, in the direction of just kind of educating myself on where I was at physically.
I'm excited to be going into the summer healthy and feeling really good. And I think that was really important. Something that I was focused on, kind of coming down the stretch here. So I'm really excited to move forward and feeling really good." Demko said.
I'm excited to be going into the summer healthy and feeling really good. And I think that was really important. Something that I was focused on, kind of coming down the stretch here. So I'm really excited to move forward and feeling really good." Demko said.
As the free agent market opened on July 1st, Demko became eligible to sign a contract extension with the club and it didn't take the two sides long to hammer out a new multi-year deal that'll begin ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
"Demko signed a three-year contract extension with the Canucks last month. This year, he's ready to return to form.
His new contract, carrying an AAV of $8.5M per season, shows that the Canucks are willing to bet on him as a player. Whether or not he lives up to it will ultimately depend on his ability to bounce back next season." Jake Rivard of Heavy.com said.
His new contract, carrying an AAV of $8.5M per season, shows that the Canucks are willing to bet on him as a player. Whether or not he lives up to it will ultimately depend on his ability to bounce back next season." Jake Rivard of Heavy.com said.
With the injury issues now, hopefully, in the past, Thatcher Demko can retake the reigns as the Vancouver Canucks' starting goaltender, form one of the league's top tandems along with Kevin Lankinen and potentially lead his team back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs next April.
Source: Heavy.com
Canucks Bounce Back Candidates
Canucks Bounce Back Candidates
| POLL | ||
AOUT 1 | 1521 ANSWERS Vancouver Canucks Netminder Issued Pressure-Filled Message Ahead of 2025-26 Season Do you think Thatcher Demko will bounce back and be a top-five goaltender in the NHL this coming season? | ||
| Yes | 1080 | 71 % |
| No | 441 | 29 % |
| List of polls | ||
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