In addition to being great guy, Lankinen’s +1.2 adjusted SV% was 12th in NHL last season (minimum 500 chances faced) per @csahockey and while it’s a small sample, was also +0.6% (T-19) in 22-23 https://t.co/oLDToPR1Vg
Demko-Silovs suddenly looks like Silovs-Lankinen. Another plot twist in Canucks’ crease.
Arturs Silovs: “In June and July, I wasn't looking at the internet, wasn't, like, following anything. A lot of big things. . . happened in August.” https://t.co/zHnfcHKe4Y
What signing Kevin Lankinen means, Filip Hronek dialed in, could the #Canucks carry 3 goaltenders when Thatcher Demko's back (sounds like that's the plan).
Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that the club has agreed to terms with goaltender Kevin Lankinen on a one-year contract worth $875,000.
“Kevin is an experienced NHL player who will add to our depth in goal,” said Allvin.
“He had a solid season last year in Nashville and has the size and skillset we like in a netminder. We look forward to getting him here to start working with our group.”
Vancouver Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin
Kevin Lankinen
Kevin Lankinen 411@ nhl.com
Lankinen was signed by the Blackhawks as a free agent on May 21, 2018, then signed a two-year contract extension April 2, 2020.
He began his professional career in his native Finland, playing 106 games in five seasons (2013-14 to 2017-18) with Jokerit, HIFK and KooKoo in Liiga, the country’s top professional league.
During the 2015 playoffs with HIFK, he was the winning goalie in the longest game in Liiga history, making 58 saves in a four-overtime 2-1 victory that ran 134 minutes, 14 seconds.
His best Liiga season was 2017-18 with HIFK, when he went 10-3-2 with a 1.33 goals-against average and .946 save percentage in 15 games, and had a 1.99 GAA and .936 save percentage in 13 playoff games.
Lankinen was assigned to Rockford, the Blackhawks’ American Hockey League affiliate, for the 2018-19 season and was 7-8-4 with a 2.50 GAA and .910 save percentage.
His biggest moment that season, however, came with Finland at the 2019 IIHF World Championship, where he went 7-1 with a 1.50 GAA, .943 save percentage and two shutouts in eight games to help Finland finish first.
Lankinen returned to Rockford in 2019-20, going 8-10-2 with a 3.03 GAA and .909 save percentage, and played in the AHL All-Star Game.
He made his NHL debut Jan. 19, 2021, making 25 saves in a 5-4 overtime loss. His first victory came three days later, when he made 30 saves in a 4-1 win against the Detroit Red Wings.
His first shutout also came agains the Red Wings, on Feb. 17, 2021. He made 29 saves and also scored his first NHL point, an assist on Philipp Kurashev’s second-period goal.
Lankinen’s 17 wins in 2020-21 were second among NHL rookies and the most by a Blackhawks rookie since Corey Crawford had 33 wins in 2010-11.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
Signed as a free agent by Chicago, May 21, 2018.
Signed as a free agent by Nashville, July 14, 2022.
Signed as a free agent by Vancouver, September 21, 2024
Lankinen Contract Info
Source: puckpedia.com
Lankinen Scouting and News
The late-blooming Finnish goaltender was never drafted and battled his way through the ECHL and American Hockey League before getting a chance in the big league in his mid-20s. He has the size NHL teams like and has adapted well to the smaller rinks in North America, but still needs to show the consistency required of an NHL starter.
Long Range Potential: Backup goaltender with a little upside.
Sportsforcaster.com
Of his 14 starts, 10 of them have been against playoff teams, nine of them have been on the road, seven of those teams had 90 or more points, and Lankinen has beaten six of them.
Lankinen has very good lateral movement in the net, and his coverage of the lower portion of the net is quite good. He has a tendency to bring his shoulders (and upper body) forward when he’s looking around screens, and much like Juuse Saros, it’ll be important for Lankinen to keep his upper body very tall in net.
If the Predators believe that Lankinen is a candidate to back up Saros and perhaps even reduce Saros’s workload, Lankinen will have to be able to perform after riding the bench for a few weeks. One of the biggest issues Chicago saw with Lankinen after Marc-Andre Fleury was traded to the Minnesota Wild in the spring was Lankinen’s inability to get into a rhythm as a “starter.” Nashville is gambling on Lankinen’s ability to rebound and, again, perhaps reduce the workload of his fellow Finn.
Lankinen’s glove isn’t his biggest asset, but he knows how to use it well.
