Thatcher Demko took part in a full team skate Tuesday for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury Feb. 8, and the goalie will travel with the Canucks on a six-game road trip that starts at the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.
Demko has missed more than five weeks and 12 games since leaving midway through the first period of a 2-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 8 after making six saves. He won't dress against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday (10 p.m. ET; SNP, TSN3), and likely needs at least one more full practice before playing, but coach Rick Tocchet.
"I know it's only a morning skate, but for him to get the full net is a big step for us to see where he'll be at here in two, three days," Tocchet said.
Kevin Lankinen, who is 23-13-7 with a 2.54 goals-against average and .904 save percentage while making an NHL career high 43 appearances this season, will start for the eighth time in nine games against Winnipeg and make his 11th start in 14 games since Demko's latest injury. Arturs Silovs started the other three games since Demko was injured, but is 2-6-1 with a 3.65 GAA and .862 save percentage this season.
It's the third time this season that Demko, who was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the top goalie in the NHL last season, has missed time because of injury. He missed training camp and the first 24 games this season recovering from a knee injury sustained in the first game of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 21. He backed up Lankinen for two games before making his season debut on Dec. 10, when he made 21 saves in a 4-3 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues.
Demko also left a 4-3 shootout win at the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 2 with back spasms and missed the next two games.
He is 6-6-3 with a 2.87 GAA and .891 save percentage in 17 games this season.
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