The Vancouver Canucks could be without goaltender Thatcher Demko for an extended period of time. The 29-year-old goaltender left Tuesday's game after the first period with what Head Coach Adam Foote described as a lower-body injury. A day later, more information has emerged about what exactly Demko is currently dealing with.

According to Rick Dhaliwal of "Donnie and Dhali", Demko has suffered a groin injury. Demko had a groin injury back in 2023, which resulted in him missing 35 games. According to Dhaliwal, the team is still evaluating Demko to determine how long he will be out. 

"He needs to be reevaluated today and tomorrow for a proper timeline," said Dhaliwal during the opening segment of "Donnie and Dhali" on Wednesday. "Is it going to be two, three, four weeks. It's not there yet, the number. Gotta be reevaluated today and tomorrow. His injury last night was not related to past injuries. Early word is that it's a groin injury."

Dhaliwal also mentioned that this injury is not related to the maintenance Demko was dealing with this past weekend. As per Dhaliwal, "He woke up Friday sore. Didn't go to practice. Did skate three days in a row." Demko did not play or back up on Saturday and Sunday, which forced Kevin Lankinen to play both games in the back-to-back. 

With Demko potentially out for the next few weeks, Lankinen will be relied upon heavily by the Canucks. Vancouver is currently heading east for three games in four days against the Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Florida Panthers. Currently, Jiří Patera will most likely be the second goaltender on the trip, as he is listed on the main roster. 

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