Lightning Should Take Gamble on Interesting Goalie
The Tampa Bay Lightning should consider taking a shot on this free-agent goalie.
© Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports - Lightning Should Take Gamble on Interesting GoalieThe Tampa Bay Lightning have made several moves this offseason, but they may not be done yet. When looking at their roster, it is fair to argue that they could use more depth between the pipes.
While the Lightning are golden with Andrei Vasilevskiy as their starting goaltender, they have some questions about the backup position. At this juncture, they have Jonas Johansson set to be their backup again, but it would not hurt to create some competition for the role. In 26 games last season, Johansson had a 12-7-5 record, a 3.37 goals-against average (GAA), and a .890 save percentage (SV%).
When looking at the goaltenders still available on the free-agent market, one who immediately stands out is Kevin Lankinen.
It is a bit surprising that Lankinen remains without a home this late into the offseason. The 29-year-old is coming off a solid season as the Nashville Predators' backup, recording an 11-6-0 record, a 2.82 GAA, and a .908 SV%. This was after he had a .916 SV% and 2.75 GAA in 19 games with Nashville in 2022-23. With numbers like these, he is coming off back-to-back good campaigns and could be a solid target for the Lightning.
If the Lightning signed Lankinen to a cheap one-year deal and he replicated his recent play, he would give them an experienced upgrade at the backup position. Due to this, he is precisely the kind of goalie who Tampa Bay should consider taking a gamble on, even if it's with a professional tryout (PTO) contract first.
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