Confirmed Signing with Link: [VAN] G Kevin Lankinen signs with the Canucks (1 year, $875k)

kcunac

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I’m not so sure it marks any difference to Demko’s injury status so much as Lankinin caved. Demko was probably always likely to miss games and then need a slow reintroduction - if at all. The injury is apparently unprecedented so who knows. Canucks weren’t willing to go into LTIR to address that risk and Lankinen caved; credit to Alvin.

Canucks probably promised Lankenin that they would trade him if and when Demko was healthy and he wouldn’t have to be in a long term three headed rotation with Silovs. There will be teams looking for goalies after injuries in the season. In the meantime, Lankinen needs NHL action, which he will get with Vancouver.
 
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Shareefruck

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It's also entirely possible that Lankinen outplays Silovs and/or the kid even takes a step back from his play in the playoffs, in which case Silovs can go down to the minors as well.
 
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Three On Zero

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I think it's more to give Silvos a chance to make mistakes without being thrown right back in pretty much every night. We'll likely platoon both him and Lankinen until Demko is ready.
This, if Silovs is relied on the team needs a solid backup plan so they don’t derail is progression. Even with Demko 100% healthy they were going to get another goalie to ease Silov’s workload
 
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WetcoastOrca

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Good move. I’m not as confident in Silovs as some. He played better in the playoffs than expected but his save percentage was still .881 in a small sample size.
Demko needs to play a lot less games this year as his workload has been crazy.
Acquiring Laniken allows them to do that.
 

jackjohnson

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Bad sign for the Canucks.
So signing a better goalie than skinner for 800K is a bad sign for Canucks?? Actually with Demko injured or not we needed another backup like Lanky. A reliable backup that allows Canucks to be able to have another option if Silovs falters or gets injured. Depth is very important and Canucks have that in spades when it comes to goalies: Demko, Lankenin, Silovs, Tolopilo, Fergusen etc. It allows Canucks to also reduce Demko workload.
 

biturbo19

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I like it. Price is cheap. Obviously don't love what it implies about Demko's health (and possibly even Silovs as well). But most of the rumblings on Demko seem...not great. So this is really solid "insurance" to be able to pick up a solid backup goaltender on the eve of the season like this, for a second year in a row.


Gives Lankinen an opportunity to play for a good team...should get a decent workload splitting with Silovs until Demko is back. Silovs was decent in the playoffs, but still very inexperienced and it's hard to say he's ready for a "starters" workload, even if just for a couple months, but especially if it ends up being longer.

Kind of an awkward situation potentially when Demko is ready to roll...in that you have to either demote your young future guy in Silovs, or bury a guy in Lankinen that you just signed, ostensibly on the idea that he was going to get significant NHL starts this year. But you can sort of cross that bridge when you come to it...and hopefully Silovs doesn't feel too undermined in the whole process. I think it should still be pretty clear to him that he's the future, with a clear path to significant starts behind un-durable Demko, even if it ends up with him spending some more time in the AHL this year.



It's the sort of move the Canucks kind of had to make, in light of the Demko situation. Can't afford to be slow coming out of the gates, or have shaky goaltending costing them points and digging a hole early. Not with expectations where they're now ratcheted up to for this season.
 

Bjornar Moxnes

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Sprong and Lankinen could give Vancouver some interesting TDL moves
Yeah I've noticed that with the way the Canucks contracts are structured, in the absolute worst case scenario, if they have a terrible start, and are missing the playoffs by deadline, they can actually do a quick re-tool, and build around Pettersson, Miller, Hronek, core in the future.
 
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Three On Zero

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Yeah I've noticed that with the way the Canucks contracts are structured, in the absolute worst case scenario, if they have a terrible start, and are missing the playoffs by deadline, they can actually do a quick re-tool, and build around Pettersson, Miller, Hronek, core in the future.
It’s weird seeing Vancouver with an actual decent management group that thinks a step ahead.
 

Wry n Ginger

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I find it hard to believe another team didn't offer him more, especially on a one year deal.

My guess is he wanted to play for the Canucks and their training staff to ramp up his value and finally caved to their offer.

He is going to play like a Rockstar and get a nice contract next year
 
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HairyKneel

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pdg is tocchets favourite guy. he isnt getting sent down depending on how well he does in camp. likely aman/friedman or juuelsson
He's a soon to be 30 year old journeyman forward making the league minimum. He isn't anyone's favorite
 

HairyKneel

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It's also entirely possible that Lankinen outplays Silovs and/or the kid even takes a step back from his play in the playoffs, in which case Silovs can go down to the minors as well.
Silovs save pctg was .881 in the playoffs.

He stunk.
 

jackjohnson

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I find it hard to believe another team didn't offer him more, especially on a one year deal.

My guess is he wanted to play for the Canucks and their training staff to ramp up his value and finally caved to their offer.

He is going to play like a Rockstar and get a nice contract next year
He wanted to go to a contender and the only contender with a spot open due to injury was Canucks. He made 2 mil in chicago as a backup and now makes less than half playing for the Canucks.
 

scholl

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Lankinen was offered a sub 1m contract earlier, he refused and was holding out to get a minimum of 1m. Interest in him has to be low.
Yes and he didn't sign in Nashville where the replacement got 2x $1.5 AAV. Lankinen wanted to become a starter and suddenly found out that all teams had acquired goalies they need. Vancouver was the only option right now. Other one would have been to wait someone to get injured. Better to play than to sit and wait.
 
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Kryten

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Yeah I've noticed that with the way the Canucks contracts are structured, in the absolute worst case scenario, if they have a terrible start, and are missing the playoffs by deadline, they can actually do a quick re-tool, and build around Pettersson, Miller, Hronek, core in the future.
Theres usually only like 4 teams league wide that are noticeably out of the playoff hunt by the deadline
 

Hammer79

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Silovs save pctg was .881 in the playoffs.

He stunk.
He was .898, he was .881 in his 7 games against the Oilers. I agree that some Canucks fans need to pump the brakes, but this is the opposite extreme. He was mediocre, but I wouldn't say he stunk.
 

Billy Kvcmu

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He was .898, he was .881 in his 7 games against the Oilers. I agree that some Canucks fans need to pump the brakes, but this is the opposite extreme. He was mediocre, but I wouldn't say he stunk.
If anything, other teams’ fans especially oilers fans need to pump the break

He was not the main reason the Canucks pushed oilers to G7, he didn’t steal any game
 

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