The Chicago Blackhawks let Kevin Lankinen go a couple of years ago and it may have been a mistake.
A few years ago, the Chicago Blackhawks allowed Kevin Lankinen to leave in free agency. When he was a young player developing in the organization, he was a good young goalie but nothing like a franchise guy.
Lankinen isn’t even with the next team he played for as the Nashville Predators also let him walk. He signed with the Vancouver Canucks over the past summer. So far, it looks like it was a great decision as he’s taking full advantage of the opportunity.
Thatcher Demko is the number one guy in Vancouver. He has mostly been that franchise guy that every Cup contender needs. However, his knee injury has forced him to miss every game this year. Until he returns, it appears to be Lankinen’s net.
The Finnish goalie certainly earned it. After a shutout victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night, he is carrying a .935 save percentage, 3.88 goals against average, and has made 81-85 through three games.
When Demko returns, Lankinen should still be the backup who helps ease Demko back into that full-time starter role. Having a solid backup is pivotal to long-term team success. All 32 teams are looking for a solid duo.
Lankinen didn’t work out as Marc-Andre Fleury’s backup in Chicago but that was valuable experience. He then got to learn from fellow Finnish goalie Juuse Saros in Nashville. Both of those runs were valuable for his development. You’re seeing the fruits of that labor now.
Is he going to put up Vezina Trophy-caliber numbers throughout the entire season? That is unlikely. He probably won’t play enough games to be in that conversation unless Demko’s injury takes another bad turn.
It is good to see that Lankinen is finding success elsewhere. Sometimes, that is all a player needs if things aren’t working out in one spot. The Hawks and Lankinen are happy with their directions so everybody wins.
In Tuesday night's matchup, Lankinen will face his old team as he makes his third straight start for Vancouver. The Hawks will counter with Petr Mrazek who has been great in his own right.
To beat Lankinen these days, the Hawks will have to get bodies in front and be patient with their chances. Lots of pucks on the net will help the cause as creating rebound chances could help break the seal.