Report: Canucks’ Demko to miss first four games of Oilers series

The Vancouver Canucks will still be without their No. 1 goalie for the first four games of their second-round series, according to a new report.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports that the earliest Thatcher Demko will return to the Canucks net is in Game 5, but Game 6 or 7 is more realistic.

Demko suffered an undisclosed injury in Game 1 against the Nashville Predators and missed the remainder of the series. He was initially replaced by Casey DeSmith but after DeSmith was also injured, Arturs Silovs took over and backstopped the Canucks to a series win in six games.

Demko’s prognosis was initially “week-to-week” but he did return to the ice last week.

The San Diego native missed 14 games with a lower-body injury at the end of the Canucks’ Pacific Division-winning season. He returned for their penultimate regular-season game, where he secured a 4-1 victory.

This injury is not believed to be the same one that he dealt with at the end of the season.

You can watch Game 1 between the Canucks and Oilers Wednesday night on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ beginning at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT.