Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko confirmed to have inoperable injury

For the second consecutive season, Demko was shut down early due to health concerns. The veteran netminder returned for the Canucks and played in one playoff game that many believe he was rushed into, and during that game, he reaggravated the injury and has been rehabbing since. On his latest '32 Thoughts' podcast, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman revealed that Demko's injury is very unique and that a surgeon cannot go in and fix the damage.

Friedman also noted that the Canucks don't expect him to be ready for the start of the season and are concerned he could miss an extended period of time.

Demko made his debut for the Canucks during the 2017-18 season and has since played in 219 games for the Canucks posting a 116-81-7 record along with a 2.79 GAA and .912 save percentage. Losing Demko for an extended amount of time would severely hinder the Canucks' hopes for a deep playoff run as the chances of catching lightning in a bottle twice with a goaltender like Arturs Silovs is not likely to happen. Ironically enough, Silovs is also dealing with a nagging injury currently.

Source: Hockey DB
Thatcher Demko Stats