Thatcher Demko is aiming for the Vancouver Canucks season opener in Edmonton on September 29th.
That's the actual target, according to Henrik Sedin, who says Demko has been skating regularly and staying positive through his recovery.
Demko is still listed day-to-day, working back from hip surgery that's had him questionable for months now.
Last season he managed just 20 games, a 6-win, .895 save percentage stretch that barely resembled the goaltender Vancouver remembers.
Vancouver isn't rushing him. Sedin was clear that the plan is getting Demko ready, not forcing him back before he's actually ready.
That caution matters for a team that finished 25-49-8 last season, dead last in the league at 32nd overall.
But Demko's health isn't the only thing Sedin is talking about differently this September.
Why Henrik Sedin says this camp already feels different
"We're most excited about how the team is coming together," Sedin told Sportsnet. "With this group, we can already kind of sense that there's a different feeling."
That's notable for a franchise coming off two miserable seasons with almost nothing in the standings to point to.
The front office reset goes well beyond the bench too, with new head coach Manny Malhotra now running things day to day.
Veterans like Luke Schenn and Brendan Gallagher weren't brought in for star power. Sedin was direct about why they're actually here.
"We said from the get-go that we're going to do things with a purpose," Sedin said. "And that leadership is the main purpose."
Schenn managed just 7 points in 50 games last season, and Gallagher put up 23 in 77. Neither signing was about the box score.
Trade rumors around Brock Boeser haven't disappeared either. He posted 48 points in 75 games last season with a rough minus-48 rating.
Sedin acknowledged that reality directly, saying communication with players will matter if the front office makes major moves this season.
Culture doesn't show up in the standings, and Vancouver knows that better than anyone after finishing dead last.
But Henrik Sedin appears to be confirming one major change already underway: the Canucks are rebuilding their culture, and he believes the difference is already noticeable.
But for a team still waiting on Demko's health and still fielding trade calls on its own players, feeling different is at least a start.
Do you actually believe the Canucks locker room feels different this season, or is this just offseason talk?
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