The Vancouver Canucks have placed all-star goalie Thatcher Demko on the long-term injured reserve list retroactively.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just cap related,鈥� coach Rick Tocchet said after practice Wednesday. 鈥淲e get some cap relief, that鈥檚 all it is.鈥�
The 28-year-old netminder has been considered week to week since being sidelined with a lower-body injury midway through Vancouver鈥檚 5-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets on March 9.
That injury designation hasn鈥檛 changed, Tocchet said.
Demko boasts a 34-18-2 record this season, with a .917 save percentage, a 2.47 goals-against average and five shutouts.
Casey DeSmith has taken over the starting job for Vancouver, going 3-2-1 since Demko鈥檚 injury. He has a .899 save percentage on the season with a 2.73 goals-against average and one shutout.
The earliest Demko could be back in the Canucks鈥� lineup is April 6 against the Kings in Los Angeles.
He鈥檚 expected to be a key piece as Vancouver (45-19-8) prepares for its first playoff appearance since the COVID-shortened 2019-20 campaign.
Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin also announced Wednesday that the club has called up forward Arshdeep Bains from the Abbotsford Canucks of the American Hockey League.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to see where (Bains is) at,鈥� Tocchet said, noting he isn鈥檛 sure whether the 23-year-old winger will slot into the lineup when the Canucks host the Dallas Stars on Thursday.
Bains played five games for the NHL team in February before being sent back to Abbotsford.
鈥淗e went down, he鈥檚 done a couple of things that we like, and he鈥檚 got some speed,鈥� Tocchet said.
Vancouver may get another forward back in the lineup Thursday.
Dakota Joshua practised in a full-contact jersey on Wednesday for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury in Vancouver鈥檚 4-2 win over the Blackhawks in Chicago on Feb. 13.
The physical winger, who鈥檚 set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, has a career-high 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) this season.
Sitting out injured 鈥渉asn鈥檛 been fun,鈥� Joshua said.
鈥淚t feels like forever,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut at this point, that鈥檚 behind me and I鈥檓 moving forward.鈥�
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