Smoke and mirrors. Distractions. Demko will likely need surgery but the "hope" he can make a return sells tickets, a few more anyway.
But I still can't see it being a knee if he is on the ice at all. Anyone who has ever had a knee injury knows rest is the only way to recovery. Torn ligaments don't heal by stretching them out, neither do pulled ones. There can't be too many things in the knee that go wrong, ligaments, meniscus, arthritis none of which heal by exercising. But a bad hip can be pain blocked and still functional for a short time. The knee could also be named as a source of pain as the pain can radiate all the way down the leg. Hip injures are called so many other things, sports hernias, back, knee or groins issues. Lower body.
Have you ever heard of a NHL hockey team stating outright the player has a ..... injury. Hand, elbow, shoulder, knee?
Demko would have the most unique knee injury seen, never limps, never uses a crutch or cane, skates in full equipment, what knee injury can that possibly be?
Some cortisone and Lidocaine shots in the right joint can delay what will be required and relieve all pain but not stability. A clean out of the hip joint can be recovered within days 10 to 15 days, then the shots and the need to stretch and work the muscles.