Confirmed with Link: Canucks Re-Sign G Kevin Lankinen 5y/4.5AAV

[Lat]

I think they'll still "lowball" keep Demko and give him a Logan Thompson-esque contract with a minimal raise over his current salary, due to the injury concerns.

A tandem just around the 10-10.5M mark is very feasible with the rising cap. Lankinen covers the games that Demko is likely to miss, and if Demko gets into a groove and is healthy around the playoffs, you run with it.


The Canucks basically had no choice here, as the UFA options are way less appealing. I think it's slightly longer and slightly higher than I would have preferred for Lankinen, but it'll be a non-issue with the rising cap.

 

[B-rock]

Lost in all of this is Toccs' complete inability to judge the health of his players.

Going back to the idiocy of overplaying Petey during garbage time of that lost season, likely contributing to his current tendinitis and costing them a player like Michkov in the draft

Unfortunately, some people don't understand that hockey isn't a video game. If you overplay your stars, they break down. Because, like, this is real life

You’re blaming Demko’s glass body on Tocchet?
That’s an Olympic level reach!

 

[logan5]

He started to let in weak goals when pressed to play more than e few games in a row, so I’m surprised they committed so much to him.

 

[sting101]

So ....this is what the mushy middle looks like

 

[Vector]

Recap of Rick Dhaliwal's interview with Halford & Brough. Lankinen part is here and the rest will be posted in the trade rumours thread.

• Had just reported yesterday that talks were quiet
• 8.5m in signing bonuses; NMC in the first 2 years; 15-NTC for the rest of the contract
• Contract was basically completed by the 2nd period of the Canada vs. USA game

• Canucks tried to re-sign him on January 1st; over 3m AAV with term but Lankinen rejected it
• Talks went quiet after initial negotiations but picked up in the last 48 hours
• Wasn’t getting over 5m but could have got 5m as a UFA
• Likes Vancouver and is very well liked in the dressing room
• Management and coaches love him
• Canucks knew they can’t be cheap with the back-up goalie position
• Went outside their comfort zone to sign him
• Watches tape by himself after a game

 

[Kickassguy]

Definitely not a bargain, and closer to "fair market value" in terms of what Lankinen would've probably earned in free agency, but he's basically established a floor as a reliable rotating starter as a bare minimum, and given current cap projections, the deal doesn't pose much risk and stabilizes Vancouver at a position where they have no imminent futures on the horizon and an unfortunately inherently risky 1A option.

I don't see this deal excluding us from resigning Demko, even if Demmer lands (slash earns) a deal in the 8-9 mill range next time his contract is up. If Demko needs to be load managed and accepts it as a reality moving forward, he may embrace a 1A/1B situation as beneficial to his career longevity as well. If not, then we pass on a highly talented goaltender who unfortunately introduces just as much risk as reward on what will likely be a tough cap hit to swallow for that particular proposition.

 

[ephmrl]

I don’t think this has any effect on Demko’s future here. Seems like they’re committed to running a 1A/1B goalie tandem, and with Demko’s injury concerns I don’t think he’ll be able to cash in on his next contract.

If Demko can play 30-40 games I think they’ll bring him back for 5-6m and just run with the hot hand between the two of them.

 

[Bojack Horvatman]

Not sure about the term, but if he can give us starter or even 1b level goaltending this contract could age well with the rising cap.

 

[Luck 6]

In looking at our contracts for next year, we aren't in the worst shape, but something has to give. If the plan is to keep Boeser and Demko, we are going to have to move on from Soucy, and maybe even Hoglander, if we want to upgrade elsewhere in the line up.

I really don't know what the plan is... I'm just not sure how I feel about Lankinen as our long term starter...

 

[AzNightmare]

The gamble did pay off for Lankinen though. Turns out holding out for less money but a starting position paid off big time for him. Happy for the guy, he's set for life.

He made the right gamble playing for a team that has an injury prone starter too.

 

[Diablo2020]

In looking at our contracts for next year, we aren't in the worst shape, but something has to give. If the plan is to keep Boeser and Demko, we are going to have to move on from Soucy, and maybe even Hoglander, if we want to upgrade elsewhere in the line up.

I really don't know what the plan is... I'm just not sure how I feel about Lankinen as our long term starter...

As someone else pointed out maybe Vector, a month ago we were paying Miller 8. Today we have MPetey and O'Connor for that 8.

A month ago we were paying Heinen and Desharnais 4.25. Today we gave that to Lankinen.

Why does everyone seem to think we're done building this brick house? There are so many domino shaped bricks to place and fall still.

We just made a 12 asset trade in the middle of a hockey game. What you see on PuckPedia today will never be the same post deadline post draft and then post July 1.

Imagine if those people in Toronto all started unbuckling their seatbelts as the plane was touching down the other day. Great example to keep your seatbelt on until the ride stops.

Applies to Canuck fans today I believe.

 

[MikeK]

Decent signing and I totally get where the Canucks are coming from with it. The FA goalie market is pretty weak in the NHL right now with not a lot of options. They know what they have with Lankinen. Demko is a version of Sami Salo only in goalie form so they needed another option. Demko's days as the "guy" are numbered here with this signing. Players get worse with age not better and Demko has been a glass house his entire career. The Canucks needed this.

 

[Luck 6]

As someone else pointed out maybe Vector, a month ago we were paying Miller 8. Today we have MPetey and O'Connor for that 8.

A month ago we were paying Heinen and Desharnais 4.25. Today we gave that to Lankinen.

Why does everyone seem to think we're done building this brick house? There are so many domino shaped bricks to place and fall still.

We just made a 12 asset trade in the middle of a hockey game. What you see on PuckPedia today will never be the same post deadline post draft and then post July 1.

Imagine if those people in Toronto all started unbuckling their seatbelts as the plane was touching down the other day. Great example to keep your seatbelt on until the ride stops.

Applies to Canuck fans today I believe.

Well of course. But as your average fan that can’t see the vision, all we can do is speculate. But as it presently stands, and with this management group, it’s becoming exceedingly difficult to speculate accurately. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, just a reality.

 

[Hoglander]

He's played really well for us, it'll be interesting to see how things play out. With Demko having injury troubles and Silovs struggling, Lankinen is looking like our 1b at the very least. This signing has potential to be a bargain, as I've no doubt that contracts are about to skyrocket this offseason.

 

[I am toxic]

You’re blaming Demko’s glass body on Tocchet?
That’s an Olympic level reach!

No

I am pointing out that when Demko went out of the Leafs game with a week to week injury, Toccs completely misread the situation and treated it like a nothing burger

There is a pattern here, if only I can figure out what it is

If only

 

[Diablo2020]

Well of course. But as your average fan that can’t see the vision, all we can do is speculate. But as it presently stands, and with this management group, it’s becoming exceedingly difficult to speculate accurately. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, just a reality

I cant help but see the vision this whole time even if i disagreed with multiple parts of it.

They thought they were good.

They were not.

It appears this time though they are not going to drag out 8 years like Benning all because we won 48 games in his first season.

They finally realize lately what they knew in 2022.

The core sucks and cant win.

So Miller is gone.

Boeser likely to be gone.

Demmer was just replaced.

We're doing the 2022 rebuild we all asked for but now its by default and its on the fly.

 

[JT Milker]

So ....this is what the mushy middle looks like

If only you were this critical when it was deserved.

 

[rypper]

I'm a fan of these things.

 

[strattonius]

I'm worried about whether Lankinen's play will hold up. Not based on anything other than the fact that he's a goalie and they are hard to predict.

I do like the philosophical change that management has tapped in to with goalies. This isn't a 4.5M backup goalie, but rather a tandem goalie set up. Looks likely they let Demko walk after his contract and find another guy to play 35 games or so.

With how our defense and structure is starting to round out to end thenseason, this contract has the potential to look really good if Lankinen's #'s climb.

 

[Hodgy]

Given Demko's injuries and the fact they have committed to being competitive in order to re-sign Hughes, I appreciate how they ended up giving Lankinen this term. The UFA alternatives were not great, and that's assuming you even get one of the top guys like Hill. If you don't, you could be in a pretty disastrous spot with a broken down Demko and Silovs.

With that said, I don't like the term, and think Lankinen is a pretty average goaltender. The fact that he is 30 worries me. Also, he's got good results under Tocchett, but Tochett's super low event hockey is great for goalies, and Lankinen's goals saved above expected is pretty average. I think Lankinen will do fine while Tochett remains the coach, but if Tochett is fired or not re-signed, and they go a different direction, then I wouldn't have a ton of confidence in Lankinen.

glad we're keeping him, not too thrilled on the combo of term/cap hit. one or the other would have been fine, and is to be expected in the new cap environment, but this feels high for a guy who is really a 1b.

not convinced that we're moving demko, even though i've been banging the drum that they should for a long time now. $10m is going to be the going rate for an effective goalie tandem.

I don't think they will trade Demko this year, but I also don't think they will re-sign him. I said it a few weeks ago, but his injuries have made any extension totally unfeasible in my view. And it doesn't really matter if he plays well or not, or is even relatively injury free next year. The Canucks are just not going to feel comfortable giving him any term, and I think he's going to go to the market hoping that he can get paid as "Vezina caliber" Demko, which he won't, but may get closer to with a different team that hasn't been burned by his injuries.

In terms of being traded, again, I don't think the Canucks will trade him this year/off season as his value is probably at an all time low, unless they are able to land a player with a big cap hit (e.g., Marner). Otherwise, I'd expect they hold onto him and hope he starts playing better and is injury free, and then trade him at the deadline next year or let him walk as a UFA.

 

[valkynax]

This is a very ballsy contract.

If Lank can continue his play, holy shit is it gonna look good.

If not, it will turn pretty ugly, but likely not catastrophic.

Overall I think it's something to be mildly optimistic about, especially given how Dem is turning into wet tissue paper and Silovs is not exactly replicating his previous success, plus the goalie candidates are looking quite poor out there.

Looks like Demko is gonna get trade for what value we can get. Feel bad for the guy.

 

[Jroach]

Good for Lankinen getting the bag and securing the future of multiple generations of his posterity.

Bit concerned with the term, but if the plan is to move on from Demko, this is the right decision. Decent AAV too.

 

[VanJack]

Canucks between a rock and a hard place with this one. Demko is a huge question mark. And they probably surfed the market for UFA goaltenders to potentially replace Lankinen, but likely came up dry.

It's more money and term that you'd probably want for a backup. But the Canucks got Lankinen at an absolute bargain price this season---and the salary cap is set to rise significantly in coming seasons.

But it means that between Demko and Lankinen, the Canucks are shelling out $9.5m a season on goaltending.

 

[DarrenX]

Lankinen was getting paid, either here or somewhere else.

 

[valkynax]

Canucks between a rock and a hard place with this one. Demko is a huge question mark. And they probably surfed the market for UFA goaltenders to potentially replace Lankinen, but likely came up dry.

It's more money and term that you'd probably want for a backup. But the Canucks got Lankinen at an absolute bargain price this season---and the salary cap is set to rise significantly in coming seasons.

But it means that between Demko and Lankinen, the Canucks are shelling out $9.5m a season on goaltending.

Demko likely on his way out. The average cap hit for Lank seems quite good, and given the situation I think the team's picked him to be our main guy in net.

It's a gamble, which would not have been necessary if Demko could stay healthy. But we just need to do our best with the hand we're dealt, I guess.