It has been a few years since the Vancouver cannucks had a juvenous goalkeeper controversy.
More than a decade ago, the battle for the beginnings between Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider was so epic that the pair finally went A memorable TSN function video.
Later, Jacob Marksrom and Thatcher Demko remained the best friends even when Demko pushed a more important role. In 2020, Marksrom left for Calgary as a free agent, and the two players became finalists in the Vezina trophy.
While Demko has ruled the perch in the past four years, Kevin Lankinen clearly said this week that he was in Vancouver to stay. 29 -year -old ink Friday A five -year contract extension With a ceiling of $ 4.5 million. It is breathtaking money for a career safeguard that did not play its first NHL match before 2021 and never won more than $ 2 million.
Last September, Lankinen joined the Canucks for a one -year contract at only $ 875,000. He signed two days after the start of the training camp when he was clear for all observers that the persistent injury of the Demko knee would keep him away for a while.
Addressing the media on Friday, Lankinen admitted that he had refused other offers and who came to Vancouver because he had seen what could be a unique opportunity to go up, while he knocks on the door of The thirties.
“I felt like when we started talking with Vancouver, there was really something there,” he said. “So, I am sort of left the safe and the familiar behind me and I entered the unknown. And made sure that the preparation is there and whatever the opportunity, I will be ready for this. »»
Then he did exactly that. As Demko was ready for the action on December 10, Lankinen appeared in 20 of the 26 Vancouver games and had amassed a record of 13-4-3, with a percentage of .908 stops.
Since then, he left 6-5-4. Apart from Quinn Hughes, he was the most precious player in Vancouver and kept the team in hunting in playoffs while playing the best hockey in his career. His 19 victories are a personal career summit in the NHL, and he is two games from his 37-game career summit with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2020-2010.
Lankinen also intervened admirably for Finland during the confrontation of the 4 nations, appearing in two games and interrupted the victory of 4-3 in overtime of his team against Sweden. And although he could not help the cannucks to collect two points in their return to action in Vegas on Saturday evening, he saved more than two goals above and gave his team a chance to win before Let Tomas Hertl did not seal the Knights Golden Victory 3-1 with an empty last-minute network.
The new Lankinen contract is the third agreement that the Canucks finalized this month, after having extended new additions Marcus Pettersson (six years) and Drew O’Connor (two years).
With Demko now, he was released from week to week with what would be a new lower body injury after having retired from the last canucks match before the 4 nations break, Lankinen and his representatives had a lot of effect lever in their negotiations.
In addition to significant compensation and a five -year term, Lankinen has also received protection without movement for the first two seasons of the agreement and partial protection without exchange for the last three years. The cannucks have essentially promised that Lankinen will not be exchanged without its permission earlier than July 1, 2027.
Demko’s current agreement expires in the summer of 2026. It could sign an extension this summer, but with Lankinen now locked up, it would not be surprising to see the team adopt a waiting approach, especially since the health problems continue to start over.
But as we saw with Luongo and Schneider, and with Marksrom and Demko, Lankinen’s relationship with Demko is also strong – even if there is only one net.
“It was great,” said Lankinen. “Obviously, he is dealing with his own business, which can be very difficult to mentally, but he has been super favorable from the first day. He was one of the first guys to send me an SMS when they announced the contract, which shows that he is a class act. “”
As fans have seen in the past, having two guards in the running for the first place can bring out the best of everyone – for a while, anyway.
“Being able to work with him – he is one of the best guards in the world,” said Lankinen. “He has shown that over the years, and seeing him at close range and being able to learn from him was great. I think that to go ahead, it’s a good thing to Thatcher and a good thing for me too. We are going to push each other to improve, and I think it will help the team to win in the long term. »»
In the short term, cannucks have four games to play during their current road trip, which includes two consecutive sets. Although Artur Silovs had a hard time recreating his magic performance of the playoffs last spring at the NHL level, he was decent with Ahl Abbotsford, setting up a record of 10-4-0.
“We have to play a long ball here,” said Rick Tocchet, questioned about Lankinen’s workload on Saturday and the concept of starting it on both legs on this back to back.
Obviously, not confirmed, but the implications are certainly that Silovs will start Sunday against Utah. #Canucks
– Thomas Drance (@thomasdrance) February 23, 2025
Will Silovs get his first start of NHL since November this week? The Canucks will play in UTAH on Sunday, then visit the Kings of Los Angeles on Wednesday and the Anaheim ducks which increased Thursday before finishing their road trip to Seattle next Saturday.
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