Canucks confirm the worst for Thatcher Demko, sign free agent goalie to PTO

This just in, the Vancouver Canucks have signed free agent goaltender Chris Driedger to a professional tryout (PTO) contract.

This news comes hot on the heels of reports that starting goaltender Thatcher Demko has suffered a setback in his offseason recovery and will not be ready to start the season... again.

Demko's health is once again front and centre as the Canucks prepare for the 2026-27 season, with Demko’s availability for training camp and the start of the regular season now uncertain following another significant injury setback.

Demko, selected 36th overall by Vancouver in the 2014 NHL Draft, gradually developed into the franchise’s unquestioned No. 1 goaltender. By the 2023-24 season, he had established himself as one of the NHL’s elite netminders and was named a Vezina Trophy finalist after posting a 2.45 goals-against average and .918 save percentage. But that season also marked the beginning of a frustrating stretch in which injuries have repeatedly interrupted his career.

During the 2024 playoffs, Demko suffered a popliteus injury in his knee against the Nashville Predators. The injury ultimately kept him out for roughly seven months, and he appeared in only 23 games during the 2024-25 regular season. He returned in December 2024, only to suffer another lower-body injury in February that cost him approximately 40 days.

Unfortunately for both Demko and the Canucks, the pattern continued into 2025-26. Demko played just 20 games before another lower-body injury sidelined him in November, and he suffered another injury in January. Vancouver eventually announced that he would undergo season-ending hip surgery on January 27, 2026.

The hope was that the surgery would finally address some of the underlying issues that had plagued Demko for several seasons. Demko provided a positive update in June, revealing that he had returned to the ice, but there is still no guarantee that he will be ready when the Canucks open training camp. Recent reports have indicated that his availability remains uncertain, adding another layer of concern to an already lengthy injury history.

And Vancouver appears to be preparing accordingly. The Canucks have brought Driedger into the picture on a professional tryout, giving the organization an experienced option should Demko need additional recovery time. Driedger has 67 NHL games under his belt and owns a career .917 save percentage, although his most recent NHL experience has been limited.

At his best, Demko remains exactly the kind of goaltender a rebuilding Canucks team would love to have between the pipes. The problem is that his availability has become nearly as important as his ability. After years of injuries involving his knee, lower body and now hip, Vancouver can no longer simply assume that its franchise goaltender will be there when needed.

For Demko, the 2026-27 season represents more than another comeback. It could be a crucial opportunity to prove that the latest surgery has finally put the injury cycle behind him. Until he is back in the crease and playing consistently, however, the biggest question surrounding the Canucks' goaltending situation will remain the same: not how good Thatcher Demko can be, but whether he can stay healthy long enough to show it.