Welcome to The Hockey News - Vancouver Canucks site’s player preview series for the 2025–26 season. In these articles, we’ll preview the players who are expected to play for the Canucks in the 2025–26 season. Today, we’ll be taking a look at 2023–24 Vezina Trophy finalist, Thatcher Demko.
Demko’s 2024–25 Season
Right from the get-go, the 2024–25 season did not bode well for Demko. The goaltender’s injury issues stem from the season before, preventing him from making his 2024–25 season debut until December 10 against the St. Louis Blues. From there, two more stints of injuries and missed play resulted in him only playing in 23 games throughout 2024–25. He finished the year with a record of 10–8–3, as well as a 2.90 GAA and .889 SV%. While he didn’t have a full workload this season — something that could have made adjusting after injuries a little easier — during his more prolonged stretches of play, Demko showed signs of the former Vezina candidate that he has been capable of being in the past.
Demko’s 2024–25 Letter Grade
For the 2024–25 season, The Hockey News - Canucks site gave Demko a C — but it’s unlikely he repeats this performance next year. As previously mentioned, the conditions around Demko’s 2024–25 season were rare. His absence from the lineup resulted in Kevin Lankinen taking more games than expected, also putting the team in a tough situation during back-to-backs. With Demko having entered the 2025 off-season healthy, he’ll have the opportunity to train regularly and start the season with the team. Demko’s better health in 2025–26 won’t just apply to his individual record, but the Canucks’ as well.
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Demko’s 2025–26 Predictions
Demko’s 2025–26 season will mainly be reliant on one thing in particular — his health. A variety of factors will also help him with this compared to previous seasons. First, he has had the whole off-season to take more rests as well as train to the best of his ability. As well, compared to previous seasons when he has been tasked with the role as the team’s primary starter, he’ll have a solid 1A/1B tandem partner in Lankinen. This will give the team the flexibility to let Demko rest more, rather than having him play in 60+ games such as in the 2021–22 season.
Many have been quick to criticize Demko after not being overly present in the 2024–25 season, taking note of his injury-prone tendencies of the past few seasons. However, regardless of his injuries, the goaltender is still only one year removed from finishing second in Vezina Trophy voting for 2023–24. Even with the injuries in 2024–25, he still had stints of remarkable play that will only continue when healthy.
The Vancouver Canucks, PWHL Vancouver, And Abbotsford Canucks Have Goalie Tandems That All Teams Should Envy
The province of BC has been spoiled with great goaltending in the past couple of decades with the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks">Vancouver Canucks</a>, but the 2025–26 season may be the most optimistic yet. Not only will the Canucks ice a goalie tandem with two stellar netminders, but Vancouver will also see excellent goaltending from the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks/latest-news/abbotsford-canucks-2025-free-agency-tracker">Abbotsford Canucks</a> and the newly-established <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks/latest-news/pwhl-vancouver-exclusive-signing-window-and-expansion-draft-recap">PWHL Vancouver</a>. Let’s take a look at the goaltenders that will take to the ice for these three teams.
While a bounce-back season is expected from Demko, the one question for himself and Lankinen in the crease is whether the 1A/1B system will work throughout the year. Lankinen is currently locked down for five years, while Demko will be with the team for at least the next four. Both goaltenders could easily contend for a starting role on many of the NHL’s teams. Could a desire for more playing time break up one of the strongest-projected goalie tandems in the NHL?
Adam Kierszenblat’s Stat Prediction: 28W / 50GP
Izzy Cheung’s Stat Prediction: 27W / 43GP
Bold Prediction: Thatcher Demko finishes the 2025–26 season with a GAA of 2.45 or lower
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