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Vancouver Canucks News

Thatcher Demko will start Thursday vs. Tampa Bay.

Demko will look to continue a fabulous start to the season that has seen him post a 1.70 GAA and .953 SV% in two games (1-1-0). Despite a 2-0 loss at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers, Demko is coming off a performance where he did everything but score for the Canucks, saving 40 of 42 shots. After a mediocre 2022-23 season where he finished with a 3.16 GAA and .901 SV%, Demko looks poised to rebound in a positive way. He will be put to the test again on Thursday as the Canucks are +113 road underdogs against a Tampa Bay Lightning team that is eager to get into the win column after losing three straight (0-2-1).

Thatcher Demko
Luke Schenn (lower body) is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.

Schenn's status has been up in the air after sitting out the last three games but is now been confirmed to miss the next four to six weeks with a lower-body injury. He recorded one block and four hits in 15:11 time-on-ice in his only game this season. Last season, Schenn had a league-leading 318 hits along with 22 points (4G / 18A) in 70 games. Dante Fabbro has, and will likely continue, to fill in on the back end in his absence.

Luke Schenn
Guillaume Brisebois (upper-body) has been placed on long-term injured reserve.

Brisebois has not skated in 10 days and has now been placed on the long-term injured reserve with an upper-body injury. The 26-year-old had a goal, two assists, 15 SOG, six PIMs and a -2 plus/minus through 17 games played in 2022-23. His move to the LTIR allows the Canucks to keep Jack Studnicka on the active roster after he was originally an emergency call up.

Guillaume Brisebois
Thatcher Demko will start Tuesday vs. Philadelphia.

Demko was sensational in his only start of the season, stopping 21 of 22 shots against (.955 SV%) as he beat Edmonton 8-1 six days ago. The 27-year-old struggled in 2022-23, posting a 14-14-4 record, 3.16 GAA and .901 SV% in 32 games started. He takes on the Philadelphia Flyers Tuesday on the road, who is 1-1-0 and rank 15th in the NHL in goals per game (3.0).

Thatcher Demko
Schenn will not play in Thursday's game against the Kraken due to a lower-body injury.

Schenn presumably picked up the injury at some point during Tuesday night's opening affair with the Lightning, though there was no mention or report of an injury prior to warmups for Thursday's game against the Blues. The 33-year-old blue-liner rarely contributes offensively, but his absence will be felt in fantasy formats that reward blocked shots and hits. Dante Fabbro will slide into the lineup in place of Schenn.

Luke Schenn
Thatcher Demko was the first goalie off the ice at the Canucks' morning skate.

Demko struggled with a 14-14-4 record and a .901 SV% to go alongside a 3.16 GAA in an injury-plagued 2022-23 campaign but will start the Canucks' opener Wednesday vs. Edmonton. The 27-year-old is entering his seventh NHL season and has a career .910 SV% and 2.90 GAA. He hosts the Oilers who finished 2022-23 first in the NHL in goals (325), power play percentage (32.4%), and sixth in shots per game (33.6).

Thatcher Demko
Vancouver has signed Sawyer Mynio to a three-year, entry-level contract worth $2.85 Million ($870,000 AAV).

Mynio was drafted in the third round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft (89th overall) by Vancouver and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract worth $2.85 Million ($870,000 AAV). The 18-year-old defensemen had five goals, 26 assists, 40 PIMs and a +50 plus/minus through 68 games with Seattle (WHL) in 2022-23. He is expected to return to Seattle for the 2023-24 season.

Sawyer Mynio
Vancouver has signed Ty Young to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Young was Vancouver's 2022 fifth-round pick (144th overall) and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Canucks. The 19-year-old goaltender went 15-13-3 with a .889 SV% and 3.89 GAA with the Prince George Cougars (WHL) in 2022-23 and is expected to return to the team for the 2023-24 season.

Ty Young
Colorado has signed Matthew Stienburg to a two-year, entry-level contract.

Stienburg was drafted by Colorado in the 3rd round of the 2019 draft (63rd overall) and has signed the center to a two-year, entry-level contract. The 22-year-old made his professional debut in 2022-23 with the Colorado Eagles (AHL) as he had an assist and five PIMs across a brief four-game appearance. Prior to the Eagles, he closed out his NCAA career with Cornell (NCAA) where he had two goals, five assists, 18 PIMs, and a -2 plus/minus through 18 games.

Matthew Stienburg
Pittsburgh has signed Drew O'Connor to a two-year, $1.85 million extension ($975,000 AAV).

O'Connor had five goals, six assists, 62 SOG, 12 PIMs and a -3 plus/minus through 46 games with Pittsburgh in 2022-23 and has signed a two-year, $1.85 million extension ($975,000 AAV). The 25-year-old undrafted left-winger took a big step forward last season with the Penguins and now has eight goals, 17 points and 110 SOG through 78 career NHL games played.

Drew O'Connor
Los Angeles has signed Akil Thomas to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 AAV.

Thomas had five goals, three assists, and a eight PIMs through 13 injury filled games with Ontario (AHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 AAV to stay in Los Angeles. The 23-year-old forward was Los Angeles 2018 second-round pick (51st overall) and has yet to make his NHL debut.

Akil Thomas
Seattle has signed Jimmy Schuldt to a one-year, two-way contract ($775,000 AAV).

Schuldt had eight goals, 24 assists, 31 PIMs and a +22 plus/minus through 71 games with Coachella Valley (AHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 with Seattle. The 28-year-old defenseman has appeared in one NHL game throughout his career, picking up a point and a -1 plus/minus back in 2018-19.

Jimmy Schuldt
The Blues signed Mackenzie MacEachern to a two-year contract worth $1.55 million ($775K AAV).

MacEachern failed to make a regular season appearce with Carolina during the regular season in 2022-23 but appeared in eight games in the playoffs, picking up a goal and an assist to go along with six PIMs leading to him signing a two-year contract worth $1.55 million ($775K AAV) with St. Louis. The 29-year-old left-winger returns to St.Louis, where he picked up 11 goals and 19 points through 115 games played with the Blues between 2018 to 2022.

MacKenzie MacEachern