Grading Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko's 2025-26 season.
Welcome to the 2025–26 installment of The Hockey News - Vancouver Canucks’ Player Report Card Series. Throughout the off-season, THN will conduct a deep dive into how each member of the Canucks performed throughout the 2025–26 season. Today’s article will focus on goaltender Thatcher Demko.
Demko’s 2025–26 Season Review
The 2025–26 season did not go the way it should have gone for Demko.
Coming off an injury-battered 2024–25 season, Demko entered the 2025–26 season with something to prove. He played in a total of only 23 games in 2024–25, putting up a 2.90 GAA and .889 SV%.
Demko headed into the 2025–26 season healthy, having wrapped up the prior season healthy and ready to go. He got things off to a positive start at the beginning, winning four of his first six starts and registering save percentages of above .940 in three of them. Things did, however, take a turn in mid-November when Demko missed one weekend for maintenance. His next start after that break was on November 11, against the Winnipeg Jets, during which he left due to injury after the first period and did not return for a month.
Shortly after making his return in December, Demko posted his best stretch of play throughout the entire season, stringing together three straight wins including a shutout streak of 150:53 minutes — the 10th-longest streak in Canucks franchise history. During this three-game stretch, he did not record a save percentage of under .950.
Demko’s win against the New York Islanders on December 19 was his final win registered on the season. The goaltender’s 2025–26 season was cut short after he departed from his January 10 start against the Toronto Maple Leafs after the first period. Following that game, Demko underwent a hip procedure that ended his season.
At the end of the 2025–26 season, Demko explained his plan for recovery heading into the 2026–27 season, noting that he would be staying in Vancouver during the off-season to help prepare. The goaltender was seen skating back in June.
During his end-of-season media availability in April, Demko noted that he believes his most recent procedure will help shut down the bulk of his injury issues moving forward.
“I think that this last operation that I had is going to be the answer for all that. So it’s kind of like that one last time going through all this, hopefully,” Demko had said at the time. “Obviously it’s a game, and you don’t know what the future holds as far as injuries. Anyone can get hurt any night, but just some of the nagging stuff I had, hopefully kind of dissipates. We’ve addressed the larger picture. That’s kind of where my mind frame is at right now.”
Canucks General Manager Ryan Johnson elaborated on the goaltender’s status ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft back in June, providing cautious optimism regarding when Demko could be ready to jump back into play.
“I don’t want to put any pressure on him on timelines. He’s doing well,” Johnson had said at the time. “The fact that he’s just taking steps back on the ice is encouraging.”
Jan 3, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko (35) skates in warm up prior to a game against the Boston Bruins at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn ImagesDemko’s 2025–26 Letter Grade
When he was on, Demko was on — just as he typically has been throughout the past few seasons. Demko has proven that he can be one of the NHL’s top goaltenders when healthy, particularly when he has longer stretches of playing time while not dealing with any ailments. Though he did have a couple of strong flashes throughout his season, as a whole, the 2025–26 season was another one filled with injury woes that led to inconsistencies in Demko’s game.
It’s unclear which version of Demko will return to the Canucks come the 2026–27 season. For now, the goaltender gets a C for his performance in 2025–26.
Canucks 2025–26 Letter Grades
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