NHL Rumors: The Vancouver Canucks Looking at Goaltending, With Kevin Lankinen an Option

Donnie & Dhali: Elliotte Friedman when asked if he thinks the Vancouver Canucks will go after another goaltender. Kevin Lankinen is still an option but he may wait to see if there is team that has an injury or a guaranteed spot.

** NHLRumors.com transcription

Dhaliwal: “Elliotte, they still have that offer out to Lankinen. And do you, what do you see? Do you see another goalie coming in for training camp?

Friedman: “I do. I do think that the Canucks would like that. Number one, it increases competition.”

Dhaliwal: “Yeah.”

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Friedman: “Number two, Rick, like, it gives you a safety blanket. You know, I think with Lankan and like, you know, I think one of the things you do when you’re in his kind of situation is you kind of wait to see if something develops late.

You know, does, is there, like, you know, like, is there another situation in the league that you think that maybe a goalie shows up injured, or something happens, where you think you have a better opportunity or could sign a better deal? So, I don’t think Lankinen is disinterested in the Canucks. I just think at this point in time, it behooves him to wait as long as he can, or as long as he feels comfortable, to see what opportunities are out there.

But I do think you’re going to look to go out and get someone else, whether it’s PTO or a contract.

You know, the other thing about this too is that, and you know the, you know, Jim Rutherford’s been around a long time, so he’ll figure out how to deal with this, but you’re always careful too. If you bring in someone like who would need waivers, you try to structure your contract or make sure that if you have to put them through waivers, it’s an opportune time where they’re not going to be claimed.

Like one of the things that Maple Leafs did with Martin Jones last year was they put a bonus around the start of the season. So people wouldn’t want to pay that kind of a bonus, they just let him slide through on waivers, and he played really well for Toronto last year.

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So that’s one of the things that the Canucks will be looking at too is,
you know, do we, if we really think we need someone. And they might be a third goalie, or you know you just might, you have to structure things or prepare for things in a way that if you really need them, you don’t lose them on waivers.”