Free Agent goaltender Kevin Lankinen rejects Vancouver Canucks offer
With Thatcher Demko and Arturs Silovs on the shelf, the Vancouver Canucks appear to be targeting free-agent goaltender Kevin Lankinen who rejected the team's offer.
The Vancouver Canucks head into the 2024-2025 season with questions about their goaltending. With Thacher Demko's nagging knee injury and Arturs Silovs nursing something similar but to a much lesser extent. However, with their two top goaltenders seemingly on the shelf, their options have been limited. Although they have been targeting free agent, Kevin Lankinen. At this time it seems unlikely they will agree on a deal as the goaltender wants more than the Canucks are willing to pony up.
The twenty-nine-year-old Lankinen who finished last season with an 11-6-0 record, a .908 SV% and a 5.56 GSAx wants north of a million dollars while the Canucks aren't willing to pay that price.
While Lankinen isn't necessarily the best option to replace Demkor or Silovs for any extended period, the Canucks are scrambling to find a goaltender. the twenty-nine-year-old appears to be the best stopgap option for the short time that the Canucks will hopefully need him, but unless something can be agreed upon financially, both parties are wasting their time. Could a separation be on the horizon before anyone puts pen to paper?
Last season the Canucks were fortunate to have two studs in the net in Demko and Silovs, who when healthy played lights out for the most part. Demko played in 51 games going 35-14-2 during the campaign. He finished with a 2.45 GAA and a .918 SV%. For his efforts, Silovs skated in four regular season games going 3-0-1. In ten playoff appearances, the twenty-three-year-old went 5-5 with a 2.91 GAA & .898 SV%.
Statistics - Hockey Reference - Thatcher Demko
Statistics - Hockey Reference - Kevin Lankinen
| POLL | ||
Who will finish the season as the number-one goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks? | ||
| Thatcher Demko | 33 | 55.9 % |
| Arturs Silovs | 18 | 30.5 % |
| Kevin Lankinen | 5 | 8.5 % |
| Other | 3 | 5.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
