The Vancouver Canucks desperately need reinforcements.
Thankfully, two key players are nearing a return.
Thatcher Demko last played a full game on Nov. 3, during a 5-4 Canucks win against the Nashville Predators.
He proceeded to miss a pair of weekend games after that contest. Then, Demko returned for one period against the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 11 before exiting with a groin injury.
The Canucks have lost seven of nine games in Demko’s absence. They’ve allowed 3.89 goals against per game in his absence, the second-worst mark in the NHL.
On Thursday, head coach Adam Foote gave an estimated timeline for Demko’s return.
“Okay,” Foote said after a pause. “Buffalo is probably not out of reach, right? If it changes, don’t be mad at me.”
The Canucks host the Buffalo Sabres at Rogers Arena on Thursday, Dec. 11.
Demko was back on the ice for the beginning of practice on Thursday, although he exited early on as practice ramped up.
“The way he was today… I don’t want to put a number on it, because I don’t know if it’s three, four, more skates, or five. I think Buffalo’s realistic.”
It wasn’t the most confident of answers, but it at least gives fans a rough timeline for when Demko may return.
While the former Vezina nominee has missed a chunk of hockey this season, it pales in comparison to Nils Höglander.
The 24-year-old winger has missed the entire Canucks season after suffering a high ankle sprain during the team’s second preseason game.
After undergoing surgery, the team announced that he would be out for 8-10 weeks. We are currently at the nine-and-a-half week mark.
As the tail end of that timeline nears, Höglander hit another milestone today by participating in his first full practice with the Canucks.
The Swedish winger skated as an extra through line rushes, and Foote mentioned that although he’s close, he’s not quite ready to go yet.
“He’s pumped up,” Foote said after practice. “I mean, obviously, he needs a few practices with us.”
“I think it’s probably realistic [that he returns against] Buffalo, but as long as nothing changes, maybe Detroit, maybe.”
Höglander is looking to bounce back from a down season last year, when he scored eight goals and posted 25 points in 72 games. He’s in the first year of a three-year deal paying him $3 million per season.