Assessing The Canucks’ Direction
Reports surfaced earlier this month that the Canucks had re-engaged in contract talks with pending free-agent forward Kiefer Sherwood and were discussing a potential five- or six-year deal worth over $4MM per season. It’s hard to say whether the reports had merit, or whether the Canucks were serious about retaining Sherwood – or merely posturing to get a better trade return before the trade deadline.
Regardless of their true intentions, the Canucks’ direction is tough to figure out. They currently sit last in the NHL standings and, since New Year’s Day, are 0-7-2 and have been outscored 40-14. They don’t appear close to a winning run, yet there is little talk of a sell-off or a pivot into a rebuild. Their fans certainly like to talk on social media about embracing the tank, and the Canucks are reportedly willing to listen to offers for Elias Pettersson.
The truth about Vancouver is that it’s been a mess, off and on, for the better part of the last 10 to 15 years, from the top of the organization down to the players. There have been highs and moments of hope when it looked like the team was on the cusp of greatness, but those highs have been short-lived, followed by rapid declines.
The last two years are a clear example: the Canucks went from a team that was a win away from the Western Conference Final to one that missed the playoffs last season and appears destined to do the same this year. Those falls aren’t all that common (although the Rangers are living through a familiar descent) and are generally the result of self-inflicted missteps or a run of terrible luck.
In Vancouver’s case, it appears to be a mix of both, but there is no doubt that the J.T. Miller/Pettersson rift did irreparable damage that could have long-standing effects on Vancouver’s locker room.
Miller’s departure should have signaled the Canucks’ direction. Still, a quick trade for defenseman Marcus Pettersson and forward Drew O’Connor then implied that Vancouver intended to compete for a playoff spot last season, and the subsequent re-signing of both players certainly reinforced that notion.
Internal and external pressures aside, the trade to bring in Pettersson and O’Connor added to the Canucks’ depth, and they shed some bad contracts (Danton Heinen and Vincent Desharnais) in the deal with Pittsburgh. But the trades showed a lack of direction for Vancouver, and that carried into last year’s trade deadline as well as the summer, when the Canucks showed a lack of forward thinking. All of that leads us to this season, where Vancouver has spun its wheels despite rostering an ageing, expensive core.
The Miller trade to the Rangers had to happen, and while the return wasn’t great, it wasn’t awful either, as Miller has struggled to regain his form in the Big Apple. But the moves that followed the trade felt reactionary and forced, and ultimately proved in vain.
Pettersson was a top-pairing defender in Pittsburgh, but this season with the Canucks has been perhaps the worst of his career. The 29-year-old looks to be a shell of his former self and, like many players in Vancouver, has been terrible.
O’Connor has been fine in Vancouver, tallying 10 goals and seven assists in 47 games thus far while continuing to use his speed and size to be disruptive on the forecheck. That move, while tainted by Pettersson’s play this year, made sense at the time, but as the Canucks approached the trade deadline, some of management’s decision-making left a lot to be desired.
There was a moment after the Miller trade when the Canucks could have pivoted to a quick retool that might have been tough to stomach for the rest of last year and this season, but it would likely have yielded results next season. Instead, the Canucks did what they did, extended both Pettersson and O’Connor, and inked backup goaltender Kevin Lankinen to a deal that pays him $4.5MM per season for five years. All of it was reactionary, in the hope of getting the Canucks into the postseason last year. They didn’t.
The Canucks also tried to trade Brock Boeser last year at the deadline, but weren’t able to come to terms on a deal. It seemed all but certain he would bolt elsewhere in free agency last summer, but there he was on July 1, surprisingly signing a seven-year agreement with Vancouver that appears set to age like milk.
The Canucks added to their forward depth in another move, acquiring Evander Kane via trade from Edmonton. It was an acceptable deal in a vacuum; however, given Vancouver’s overall roster construction, it was a head-scratcher, as the Canucks used much of their cap space to fix the wing while watching their already thin center position get worse when Pius Suter departed in free agency.
Vancouver spent the rest of the summer making small roster changes in hopes that the core would find its mojo again. Still, a few months into the season, it was clear that wasn’t going to happen, which sparked trade rumours for their star defenseman, Quinn Hughes, whom they eventually dealt to Minnesota towards the end of 2025. The Hughes deal was actually a great haul for Vancouver given the circumstances, but it has officially put them into a hybrid retool that probably should’ve happened a year ago.
Hindsight is 20/20, but had Vancouver pivoted in early 2025 after trading Miller, they might have avoided some of the mistakes they’ve made over the past year, which have effectively set them back a few years. Instead, Vancouver is locked into long-term deals with underperforming forwards, a talented yet expensive goalie tandem that has injury and inconsistency issues, and a defense core that is now average at best.
Sure, they do have some nice young players who will likely become NHLers, but they will be surrounded by an old, pricey core unless the Canucks can start moving out from under some of the contracts they’ve locked in. No one is taking Boeser’s deal this year; the same could probably be said for Elias Pettersson’s.
But Vancouver could move their pending UFAs before the trade deadline and have nearly $17MM in cap space next summer to sign just two roster players (as per PuckPedia). That type of wiggle room could allow for additions before next season, but it’s not clear whether Vancouver should do that in the midst of what appears to be either a retool or a rebuild.
Patience might be the best thing for the president of hockey ops, Jim Rutherford and general manager Patrik Allvin to exercise, but given their track records, that has not been their strong suit, and it is a big part of the reason the Canucks find themselves where they are.
Canucks Recall Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Assign Jiri Patera To AHL
The Canucks have made a pair of roster moves heading into their game tonight against Los Angeles. The team announced (Twitter link) that winger Jonathan Lekkerimaki has been recalled from AHL Abbotsford. To make room for him on the roster, goaltender Jiri Patera has been sent down.
Lekkerimaki started the season with Vancouver but suffered an upper-body injury in the fourth game of the season. That landed him on injured reserve for more than three weeks and upon being activated, he was sent to Abbotsford for what felt like a conditioning stint. The 21-year-old played in five games in the AHL and was productive, notching three goals and two assists.
Lekkerimaki has a goal in his four outings at the top level this season in just under 10 minutes a night of playing time. For his career, the 2022 first-round pick has four goals and three assists in 28 NHL outings. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him jump right back into a bottom-six role with Lukas Reichel being a candidate to lose his spot once again.
As for Patera, he was brought up on Tuesday when Kevin Lankinen stepped away from the team for a personal matter. He didn’t see any game action on this recall but did get into one game earlier this month where he allowed seven goals on 40 shots. The 26-year-old has a 3.10 GAA and a .894 SV% in five games with Abbotsford. While not announced by the team, this move suggests that Lankinen is back with the team with he and Nikita Tolopilo comprising the tandem that should dress against the Kings.
West Notes: Wedgewood, Brossoit, Mammoth, Canucks
Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood has been added to Canada’s list for potential Olympic participation, reports TSN’s Darren Dreger (Twitter link). It has been a breakout season for the 33-year-old who took on the starting job when Mackenzie Blackwood was injured to start the season and he hasn’t relinquished it. Through 17 appearances, he has a 13-1-2 record with a 2.09 GAA and a .918 SV%. While his international experience is also rather limited (just a World Juniors appearance in 2011), Wedgewood has certainly done well enough to warrant late consideration, especially with Canada’s goaltending group still in some question.
More from out West:
- Laurent Brossoit’s tenure with the Blackhawks hasn’t gone as planned. Signed to a two-year deal in 2024, he hasn’t played a second of hockey since then thanks to multiple injuries. That should be changing soon, however. The netminder told Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times that he’s actually ahead of schedule in his recovery from his most recent hip surgery which has him likely nearing a conditioning stint with AHL Rockford in the near future. Once cleared to do so, he can spend up to two weeks in the minors before needing to be added to Chicago’s roster or placed on waivers.
- While the trade market is still in the process of getting established this early in the season, several teams know they will be looking to buy when the opportunity arises. One team that hasn’t done a lot of that in-season lately is the Mammoth but it appears that will be changing. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes in his latest 32 Thoughts column that Utah is definitely looking to add to its current group. While they’ve scuffled a bit as of late in the win-loss column, they enter play tonight in a Wild Card spot and with them projecting to finish the year more than $5MM under the salary cap per PuckPedia, they have ample flexibility on that front to make a move along with one of the better prospect pools in the league.
- Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen could rejoin the team on their current road trip, relays Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre (Twitter link). It was announced yesterday that he was taking a leave for personal reasons but it appears that his absence will be a short-term one. Meanwhile, MacIntyre adds that their other netminder Thatcher Demko along with winger Nils Hoglander are expected in Los Angeles on Saturday to skate with the team, suggesting they’re nearing a return as well. Vancouver has been decimated with injuries in the early going this season but some help could be on the horizon.
Canucks’ Kevin Lankinen Takes Leave Of Absence
The Canucks announced goaltender Kevin Lankinen will not travel with the team on their four-game road trip due to personal reasons, although the team didn’t clarify if he may join the club midway through. In a corresponding move, Vancouver recalled Jiří Patera from the AHL under emergency conditions after reassigning him just yesterday. They had an open roster spot, so they don’t need to free up a spot for Patera.
With Thatcher Demko still on injured reserve with a groin issue, the Canucks are now without both halves of their regular goaltending tandem. They will rely on Patera and Nikita Tolopilo, their top two minor-league options, until one of Demko or Lankinen can return. Patera had spent the past two-plus weeks as Lankinen’s backup, but the Canucks swapped him out for Tolopilo yesterday to give the latter a chance at playing time. Now, they could both be in line for starts soon with a back-to-back against the Sharks and Kings on Friday and Saturday, following tomorrow’s game against the Ducks.
Following a decent 2024-25 season in a higher-than-usual workload, Lankinen has kept up his play in 2025-26. Through 12 starts and one relief appearance, he’s 4-7-2 with a .880 SV%. Those aren’t inspiring numbers at face value, especially since his GAA has spiked from a 2.62 GAA last year to a 3.63 figure this year. A deeper look reveals Lankinen has had to contend with some of the league’s worst defensive support in front of him. Among the 40 goaltenders with at least nine appearances this season, Lankinen’s expected GAA of 3.65 ranks second-highest behind only Jeremy Swayman‘s 3.68.
Combine that porous defense with untested goaltending depth, and this trip could be a disastrous one for the Canucks. Patera is inexperienced, even as No. 3 options go, and doesn’t have a promising track record in his limited NHL showings. The 26-year-old made one start during his previous call-up and was lit up for seven goals on 40 shots against the Panthers on Nov. 17. That worked out to a .825 SV%, 7.39 GAA, and -3.4 goals saved above expected. That brought down his career stat line to a 3-4-1 record, .892 SV%, and a 4.01 GAA in nine appearances. His other eight showings came with the Golden Knights in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
Canucks Sign Kevin Lankinen To Five-Year Extension
The Canucks announced they’ve agreed to terms with pending UFA goalie Kevin Lankinen on a five-year, $22.5MM extension. It’ll keep him in Vancouver through the 2029-30 season with a cap hit of $4.5MM. $8.5MM of his total compensation will be paid via signing bonuses, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic reports. The full breakdown of the deal is as follows, per PuckPedia:
2025-26: $2.5MM base salary, $2.5MM signing bonus, no-move clause
2026-27: $4MM base salary, no-move clause
2027-28: $3MM base salary, $2MM signing bonus, 15-team no-trade clause
2028-29: $2.5MM base salary, $2MM signing bonus, 15-team no-trade clause
2029-30: $2MM base salary, $2MM signing bonus, 15-team no-trade clause
Lankinen, 30 in April, was set to be one of the top options on the open market among goaltenders this summer after the Capitals retained Logan Thompson on a six-year deal. He’s seen a massive jump in market value since his spin on the UFA market last summer when he had to wait until after training camp started to land a one-year, $875K deal in Vancouver.
It’s a testament to the success Lankinen has enjoyed this season with the Canucks, who likely aren’t in postseason position without him. The Finland native had been an above-average backup to Juuse Saros with the Predators for the past two seasons. He was an inconsistent 1B option with the Blackhawks before that, hovering right around league average for his career with a .905 SV% in 112 appearances for Chicago and Nashville from 2020-21 to 2023-24.
Lankinen hasn’t been world-beating in his third NHL stop in Vancouver, but he has shown the ability to keep up solid numbers in extended usage. He’s started 32 of the Canucks’ 55 games amid continued injury woes for 2024 Vezina runner-up Thatcher Demko, on pace to shatter his career-high of 37 set in his rookie season with Chicago. He’s logged a .905 SV% and 2.53 GAA, numbers that look more impressive than in years past, thanks to dwindling league averages, but they’ve also come behind decent team defense. Factoring in his playing environment amid netminders with similar workloads, his performance looks more pedestrian. His 2.58 expected goals against average is the sixth-lowest out of the 48 goalies to play at least 20 games this season, per MoneyPuck. Considering that comparatively easy workload, his 1.6 goals saved above expected only rank 28th out of that 48-player group.
That makes a $4.5MM annual commitment for the rest of the decade look like fair compensation at best and a risky bet at worst. Thanks to a quickly rising salary cap, it should age far better than similarly-priced deals over the past few seasons. Still, Lankinen’s age and broadly consistent play over the past few years means he is what he is – a decent, but not great, option between the pipes who can sniff 40 starts. Considering his AAV is only $500K less than what emerging Kraken starter Joey Daccord landed on his recent extension, there’s undoubtedly a bit of sticker shock when combined with the five-year commitment and extensive trade protection.
He is an acceptable insurance option if Demko’s health continues to pose long-term concerns as he enters the final year of his contract in 2025-26. The two-time All-Star missed the first 24 games of the season with the popliteus muscle injury he sustained in Game 1 of Vancouver’s 2024 postseason run, another two in January with a back injury, and is now listed as week-to-week with a lower-body issue coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off break. Understandably, his numbers haven’t been great when healthy this season. He’s got a .891 SV% and 2.87 GAA with a 6-6-3 record in 17 appearances, but he’s faced far worse defense than Lankinen and has still managed to save a goal above expected, according to MoneyPuck. On a per-hour basis, Demko has fared slightly better with a 0.064 GSAx/60 compared to Lankinen’s 0.048. However, it’s still a far cry from last year’s elite .918 SV% and 22.0 GSAx.
While it’s a significant commitment to keep Lankinen in British Columbia, it’s a necessary one without many other options in the pipeline as a potential Demko successor. No. 3 option Arturs Silovs was expected to compete for the backup job this year after a strong playoff showing for the Canucks in 2024 but has been borderline unplayable when given the chance, logging a 4.11 GAA and .847 SV% in seven NHL appearances this season. They don’t have any blue-chip prospects in the system between the pipes either, so getting at least some long-term security at the position was understandably a top priority for general manager Patrik Allvin.
Lankinen will be 35 years old when his contract expires, so this will easily be the biggest payday of his career. He’ll be able to test unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2030.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Canucks’ Thatcher Demko Out Week-To-Week
Vancouver Canucks starting goaltender Thatcher Demko won’t join the team for their upcoming five-game road trip, per Thomas Drance of The Athletic. Demko suffered a lower-body injury just 10 minutes into Vancouver’s 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on February 8th – the team’s last game before the 4-Nations Face-Off break. Drance added that Demko has been designated as out week-to-week and that Demko’s injury isn’t connected to the knee injury that held him out of multiple weeks at the end of last season.
The Canucks turned to backup Kevin Lankinen to replace Demko after his injury. Lankinen posted 21 saves on 22 shots to lead Vancouver to a win, bringing his season-long record up to 19-8-7 in 34 appearances. Lankinen has also leads all Canucks goaltenders with a .905 save percentage and 2.53 goals-against-average. He’ll be the assumed starter when the Canucks return from break, but their upcoming road-trip features two sets of back-to-back games. That tight schedule will likely open the door for Arturs Silovs to make his own spot start.
Silovs hasn’t played since late-November, after appearing in seven of Vancouver’s first 22 games. The 23-year-old Latvian posted a 1-4-1 record, .847 Sv%, and 4.11 GAA in those appearances, prompting a quick return to the minor leagues. He found more stable footing in Abbotsford, posting a 10-4-0 record and .906 Sv%. Silovs upheld those numbers through multiple trips to serve as Lankinen’s backup when Demko missed time in January. He could now be rewarded for waiting with game time – but isn’t likely to claw above the pair of veterans ahead of him on the depth chart in what should be a minimal role.
Lankinen should be a stout fill-in on the heels of his strong season, but Vancouver will still surely miss Demko. The oft-injured starter was finally finding his groove before the Canucks went on break, marked by a 3-1-0 record and .952 Sv% in his last four healthy games. That streak was a welcome turnaround for Demko after he started his season with a dismal 3-5-3 record and .867 Sv% in 12 games. He seemed to need an extended runway as he worked his way back from a long-term ailment – and now lands in a similar and untimely situation. The Canucks will return from their extended road trip on March 5th, then quickly face four games across a six-day stretch.
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.
Canucks Recall Four From AHL
The Canucks have brought up some reinforcements before their game tonight against Boston. The team announced (Twitter link) that forwards Aatu Raty and Max Sasson along with defenseman Mark Friedman were recalled from AHL Abbotsford, reversing the paper assignments from Friday as expected. However, they also revealed that they’ve recalled goaltender Arturs Silovs using the emergency goaltender exemption.
Raty, Sasson, and Friedman have all been shuffled back and forth in an effort to keep Vancouver out of LTIR and banking as much cap space as possible. Raty has four points in 20 games so far this season while Sasson has four assists in nine outings with the Canucks. Playing time has been harder to come by for Friedman who has suited up just twice so far.
As for Silovs, he has spent most of the season on Vancouver’s roster with Thatcher Demko being sidelined for the first couple of months. However, he wasn’t able to play at the same level as he did last season and in the playoffs as he struggled to a 4.11 GAA and a .847 SV% in his first seven outings, leading to his re-assignment to the minors recently.
Vancouver only had three open roster spots (stemming from the three paper demotions yesterday) which meant that the Canucks had to use this exemption. Teams are limited to using this for a maximum of two times per season and Silovs can only be on the roster on this exemption for 48 hours. He’s taking the place of Kevin Lankinen as head coach Rick Tocchet told reporters including Sportsnet 650’s Brendan Batchelor (Twitter link) that the netminder is dealing with the flu.
Snapshots: Fowler, Danforth, Nosek, Lankinen
Earlier this month, it was revealed that the Ducks and veteran defenseman Cam Fowler were working on finding a new team for him to play for. With Anaheim firmly in a rebuild and Fowler only having two years left on his contract, a change of scenery would make sense for both sides. GM Pat Verbeek told reporters including Eric Stephens of The Athletic (subscription link) that he doesn’t sense that this will be a distraction, highlighting that Fowler is fully committed to the team. The 32-year-old has spent his entire 14-year career with Anaheim and sits third in franchise history in games played (974) and fifth in points (453). With most teams at this point wanting to see what they have first before pondering potential moves, it’s likely that a move involving Fowler will take some time to materialize.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- While Blue Jackets winger Justin Danforth has been cleared to resume some on-ice work as he works his way back from a hand injury, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that Danforth might not be cleared for contact for another two or three weeks. Accordingly, that would likely put the start of the regular season out of reach for the 31-year-old in jeopardy. Danforth had a career-high 26 points in 71 games last season while spending time at all three forward positions.
- Panthers center Tomas Nosek left today’s preseason game early after colliding with the boards following a trip, notes team reporter Jameson Olive (Twitter link). While he briefly tried to return later in the period, he ultimately didn’t return to the contest. Nosek is in his first season in Florida after signing a one-year deal with them in free agency. The 32-year-old battled injury trouble last season, missing 43 games due to four separate issues, managing just six points in 36 appearances when he did suit up.
- The one-year, $875K deal that the Canucks reached with goaltender Kevin Lankinen on Saturday carries an eight-team no-trade clause, PuckPedia reports (Twitter link). It’s the first time in his career that the 29-year-old will have any form of trade protection in his contract.
Canucks Sign Kevin Lankinen To One-Year Deal
The Canucks have been searching for some goalie depth for a while now with Kevin Lankinen being an early target. While it took a while, the two sides have reached an agreement as the team announced (Twitter link) that the netminder has signed a one-year, $875K contract.
Vancouver made an offer to the 29-year-old last month, one that was below the $1MM mark as this contract is, but it was rejected with the belief that Lankinen was seeking more money. However, with opportunities across the league largely dried up at this point, it appears he decided to take the guaranteed deal that was on the table.
Lankinen spent the last two years in Nashville, posting a 2.79 GAA and a .912 SV% in 43 games. Those numbers were certainly above-average for a second-string option which makes it a bit surprising that a better offer didn’t materialize for him over the past couple of months. For his career, he has a 3.07 GAA with a .895 SV% over four NHL seasons, the other two coming with Chicago.
Starting goaltender Thatcher Demko is still working his way back from a knee injury although he is making good progress in recent weeks. That said, his availability for the start of the regular season remains in question. That means that Lankinen will have an opportunity to battle Arturs Silovs for the starting role if Demko isn’t available on opening night. If he is able to play, the two will try to secure the backup role.
Management made it known earlier this summer that their goal is to avoid using LTIR even though Tucker Poolman won’t play this season. That’s particularly noteworthy as the team is now $694K over the cap with this signing per PuckPedia. If Demko isn’t available on opening night, they’ll have to remove a skater from the roster to fit in Lankinen’s contract. Meanwhile, one of him or Silovs will have to come off the roster once Demko is cleared to return. That could work in Lankinen’s favor as Silovs has one more season of waiver exemption remaining which could give the veteran a leg up on securing a full-time spot.
Either way, while it took longer than they would have liked, Vancouver now has the goaltending insurance that they’d been seeking for most of the summer.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.