Thatcher Demko’s injury has put the Vancouver Canucks at a crossroads, as they announced he will be out for approximately six weeks. This means that if everything goes to plan, they will be without their starting goalie until mid-January. Here is a look at the trickle-down effect that this injury will have on the entire organization.

NHL-Level Issues

For Canuck fans and the organization, the effect this has on the NHL team is massive. While Demko was having a tough start to the season, him being unavailable could turn the team from a playoff hopeful into a contender for Connor Bedard. Full credit to Spencer Martin, who has been strong this season, but he has played less than 20 NHL games and will now be leaned upon heavily for potentially the next 20 games of the season behind one of the worst defensive groups in the NHL. The hope is he can rise to the challenge, but there is a very good chance it could be an ugly six weeks for Vancouver.

Now, let’s look at the backup situation. Currently, the Canucks have Collin Delia in line to be the backup. As of writing, his call-up from the American Hockey League (AHL) is listed as an emergency loan, but that should change once Vancouver officially puts Demko on injury reserve.

While Delia has had some success at the NHL level with the Chicago Blackhawks, his play has seen a slow decline over the past few seasons. This season with the Abbotsford Canucks, he has a 5-3 record, which is decent, but he has posted a .884 save percentage (SV%) and a goals-against average (GAA) of 3.44 in eight games.