The Canucks introduced they’ve agreed to phrases with pending UFA goalie Kevin Lankinen on a five-year, $22.5M extension. It’ll hold him in Vancouver by means of the 2029-30 season with a cap hit of $4.5M. $8.5M of his complete compensation will likely be paid by way of signing bonuses, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic experiences. The total breakdown of the deal is as follows, per PuckPedia:
2025-26: $2.5M base wage, $2.5M signing bonus, no-move clause
2026-27: $4M base wage, no-move clause
2027-28: $3M base wage, $2M signing bonus, 15-team no-trade clause
2028-29: $2.5M base wage, $2M signing bonus, 15-team no-trade clause
2029-30: $2M base wage, $2M signing bonus, 15-team no-trade clause
Lankinen, 30 in April, was set to be one of many prime choices on the open market amongst goaltenders this summer season after the Capitals retained
Logan Thompson on a six-year deal. He’s seen a large soar in market worth since his spin on the UFA market final summer season when he needed to wait till after coaching camp began to land a one-year, $875K deal in Vancouver.
It’s a testomony to the success Lankinen has loved this season with the Canucks, who seemingly aren’t in postseason place with out him. The Finland native had been an above-average backup to Juuse Saros with the Predators for the previous two seasons. He was an inconsistent 1B possibility with the Blackhawks earlier than that, hovering proper round league common for his profession with a .905 SV% in 112 appearances for Chicago and Nashville from 2020-21 to 2023-24.
Lankinen hasn’t been world-beating in his third NHL cease in Vancouver, however he has proven the power to maintain up strong numbers in prolonged utilization. He’s began 32 of the Canucks’ 55 video games amid continued damage woes for 2024 Vezina runner-up Thatcher Demko, on tempo to shatter his career-high of 37 set in his rookie season with Chicago. He’s logged a .905 SV% and a couple of.53 GAA, numbers that look extra spectacular than in years previous, due to dwindling league averages, however they’ve additionally come behind respectable group protection. Factoring in his enjoying atmosphere amid netminders with related workloads, his efficiency appears to be like extra pedestrian. His 2.58 anticipated targets towards common is the sixth-lowest out of the 48 goalies to play at the least 20 video games this season, per MoneyPuck. Contemplating that comparatively straightforward workload, his 1.6 targets saved above anticipated solely rank twenty eighth out of that 48-player group.
That makes a $4.5M annual dedication for the remainder of the last decade appear to be honest compensation at greatest and a dangerous wager at worst. Because of a rapidly rising wage cap, it ought to age much better than similarly-priced offers over the previous few seasons. Nonetheless, Lankinen’s age and broadly constant play over the previous few years means he’s what he’s — a good, however not nice, possibility between the pipes who can sniff 40 begins. Contemplating his AAV is barely $500K lower than what rising Kraken starter Joey Daccord landed on his current extension, there’s undoubtedly a little bit of sticker shock when mixed with the five-year dedication and intensive commerce safety.
He’s an appropriate insurance coverage possibility if Demko’s well being continues to pose long-term issues as he enters the ultimate yr of his contract in 2025-26. The 2-time All-Star missed the primary 24 video games of the season with the popliteus muscle damage he sustained in Recreation 1 of Vancouver’s 2024 postseason run, one other two in January with a again damage, and is now listed as week-to-week with a lower-body problem popping out of the 4 Nations Face-Off break. Understandably, his numbers haven’t been nice when wholesome this season. He’s received a .891 SV% and a couple of.87 GAA with a 6-6-3 document in 17 appearances, however he’s confronted far worse protection than Lankinen and has nonetheless managed to avoid wasting a purpose above anticipated, based on MoneyPuck. On a per-hour foundation, Demko has fared barely higher with a 0.064 GSAx/60 in comparison with Lankinen’s 0.048. Nevertheless, it’s nonetheless a far cry from final yr’s elite .918 SV% and 22.0 GSAx.
Whereas it’s a major dedication to maintain Lankinen in British Columbia, it’s a vital one with out many different choices within the pipeline as a possible Demko successor. No. 3 possibility Arturs Silovs was anticipated to compete for the backup job this yr after a robust playoff displaying for the Canucks in 2024 however has been borderline unplayable when given the possibility, logging a 4.11 GAA and .847 SV% in seven NHL appearances this season. They don’t have any blue-chip prospects within the system between the pipes both, so getting at the least some long-term safety on the place was understandably a prime precedence for basic supervisor Patrik Allvin.
Lankinen will likely be 35-years-old when his contract expires, so this can simply be the largest payday of his profession. He’ll be capable to take a look at unrestricted free company in the summertime of 2030.
