Canucks, Kevin Lankinen Have Had Extension Talks

The Canucks began preliminary extension discussions with goaltender Kevin Lankinen as soon as he became eligible to sign a new deal on Jan. 1, Thomas Drance of The Athletic relayed earlier this week.

Nothing is close on the matter, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic added Friday, and it will likely take until the NHL sets next season’s salary cap ceiling until negotiations kick into overdrive. Of course, that announcement will come much earlier than normal – potentially even before the trade deadline – according to a report from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet this week. Their talks have also moved to the backburner in recent weeks with most of the Canucks’ front-office resources dedicated to working out a J.T. Miller trade, something that’s still on the horizon after he almost became a Ranger for the second time last weekend.

While the fit in Vancouver for Lankinen has been spectacular, whether the Canucks will be willing to dole out what it will take to retain him is questionable. After inking a one-year deal worth just $875K in training camp, Lankinen carried a heavy workload while starter Thatcher Demko continued to rehab the complex knee injury he sustained during last year’s playoffs. He remains the team’s No. 1 option with Demko struggling after his return, boasting a 16-8-6 record and .903 SV% through 30 appearances. He’s already just seven games short of the career high he set during his rookie season with the Blackhawks in 2020-21, and he’s set a new career-best mark in shutouts with four.

His numbers across the board are pretty average, but considering the struggles of Demko (.867 SV%, 3.47 GAA) and third-stringer Arturs Silovs (.847 SV%, 4.11 GAA), he’s been among the team’s most valuable players and one of the main reasons they’re still in the conversation for a playoff spot amid an injury-plagued campaign. That positions Lankinen to cash in with an AAV of around $4MM on a multi-year extension, LeBrun opines, twice as much as his previous career-high cap hit. He made $2MM on a one-year deal with the Predators while backing up Juuse Saros last year.

Anything much higher than $4MM would be a considerable risk for a 29-year-old netminder who’s on pace to start 30 games for just the second time in his career. However, outside from a sophomore slump with Chicago in 2021-22, he’s largely been an above-average option in limited starts and an average one with a more extended workload. Pairing him with Demko, whose $5MM cap hit next season stands to be a bargain if he can recapture his pre-injury level of play, could create a serviceable tandem at worst for less than $10MM against the cap and gives Vancouver a safety net past next year if Demko can’t rebound or tests free agency.