Thatcher Demko’s potential return for Canucks-Oilers series gets big update

The Vancouver Canucks got through the Nashville Predators without star goaltender Thatcher Demko in Round 1 — and they will have to face at least the first four games of their second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers without the Vezina Trophy finalist, reported Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.

“Sources say [Canucks] goalie Thatcher Demko is out through at least Game 4 of this Round 2 series vs. [Oilers],” wrote the hockey insider on Tuesday. “Demko has been skating and progressing. Big week ahead. Earliest possible return is Game 5 and that is probably pushing it. But Games 6-7 get interesting, if necessary.”

Demko was between the pipes for the Canucks in the first playoff game at Rogers Arena in nine years. And he was sharp, making 22 saves on 24 shots as Vancouver beat Nashville 4-1 in Game 1.

The 28-year-old hasn’t played since. Demko was labelled week-to-week shortly after the opener, and if Seravalli is correct, he won’t be an option until May 15 at the earliest.

“You always hope,” Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said when asked if he expects Demko to play against the Oilers, per NHL.com’s Kevin Woodley. “The expect, I mean, things change day to day, but there has been improvement. …From my experience, it’s a slow process and all of a sudden, two, three days later [it becomes], ‘Oh man, I really feel good.’ I don’t know where it’s at in that sense. It has improved, but to what percentage? I don’t know.”

With the star netminder out of the lineup, Casey DeSmith was forced into action for Games 2 and 3. He lost the former but won the latter, and set the Canucks up with a 2-1 series lead and a chance to take a stranglehold in Game 4. But DeSmith suffered an injury of his own, leaving both of the team’s top two goaltending options on the shelf.

And that paved the way for minor leaguer Arturs Silovs to become the playoff hero Vancouver needed.

Canucks should roll with Arturs Silovs until Thatcher Demko is ready