After reports that Thatcher Demko will miss some pre-season time with an injury, the speculation increased on goaltending targets for the Vancouver Canucks. Kevin Lankinen, J.T. Miller and Roman Josi [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA4ODY1NjA4NDkyNjU1OTIz/usatsi_21786685_168400847_lowres.jpg] Kevin Lankinen, J.T. Miller and Roman Josi The Vancouver Canucks received some bad news last week about Thatcher Demko. According to The Athletic's Rick Dhaliwal and Thomas Drance, the 28-year-old goaltender will miss training camp [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5719525/2024/08/23/canucks-offseason-thatcher-demko/?source=emp_shared_article] and pre-season as he rehabs a nagging injury. Details of Demko's injury remain scarce as the Canucks remain mum about the subject. Dhaliwal indicated they hope to have the 2024 Vezina Trophy finalist in the lineup for their season opener against the Calgary Flames on Oct. 9. However, there's no certainty he'll meet that deadline. Dhaliwal and Drance also report the Canucks have been poking around the goalie market as they explore their options to bolster their depth between the pipes. They claim management has also reached out to free-agent netminder Kevin Lankinen. A 29-year-old backup last season with the Nashville Predators, Lankinen had a 9-8-1 record in 2022-23 with a 2.75 goals-against average and a save percentage of .916. Last season, he went 11-6-0 with a 2.82 GAA and a .908 SP. The Hockey News' Adam Kierszenblat noted the rumors [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vancouver-canucks/latest-news/what-the-statistics-say-about-potential-canucks-target-kevin-lankinen] linking the Canucks to Lankinen, citing his solid play helping the Predators reach the playoffs last season. He thinks the Finnish netminder could be a good fit in Vancouver as Demko's backup while allowing playoff hero Arturs Silovs another season in the AHL to develop his game. Dhaliwal pointed out that Lankinen is coming off a one-year contract with a $2-million cap hit. Assuming he wants a similar salary this season, it won't be easy for the cap-strapped Canucks to sign him. They can get some cap relief by placing permanently sidelined Tucker Poolman and his $2.5-million cap hit on LTIR. The Score's Kayla Douglas also suggested [https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/3058932/report-demko-not-expected-to-be-ready-for-training-camp] free agents Antti Raanta and Martin Jones as free-agent options. Nevertheless, Lankinen would be the better fit if the Canucks free up the cap room to take him on. A trade option could be Filip Gustavsson of the Minnesota Wild. The Athletic's Joe Smith and Shayna Goldman noted [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5702919/2024/08/22/wild-marc-andre-fleury-rotation/] the 26-year-old was the subject of trade speculation earlier in the off-season. However, the Wild could have him form part of a three-goalie system this season with Marc-Andre Fleury and Jesper Wallstedt. Gustavsson carries an average annual value of $3.75 million. The Wild have cap constraints of their own and are unlikely to retain, meaning it would have to be a dollar-in, dollar-out swap. Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [https://info.thehockeynews.com/mail/microsites/951/1/gTeQVf?_gl=1*ustlbj*_ga*NjkyMzUxMy4xNjYzNjIwMzQ3*_ga_PK63FB1PME*MTcxMzUwOTExNi40NDguMS4xNzEzNTA5MjA5LjU5LjAuMA..]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or by visiting our forum [https://thehockeynews.rtb.io/THNHOME/posts].
