What Recent Goalie Signing Means For Kevin Lankinen's Future with the Vancouver Canucks

With Vancouver Canucks All-Star and Vezina caliber goalie Thatcher Demko not playing until early December, it was up to offseason signee Kevin Lankinen to hold down the fort until he came back.

Fortunately for the Canucks, he not only held down the fort, but blew the opposition out of the water with his incredible play, keeping the team in games they had no business competing in.

Currently on one of the best deals in the NHL, Kevin Lankinen is only making $875k, and is certainly gearing up for a pay raise this offseason.

Lankinen has been truly a difference-maker for the Vancouver Canucks. He has a 14-5-4 record, with a 2.61 goals against average (GAA), a .907% save percentage (S%) and three shutouts.

Now, for the first time this season, the Vancouver Canucks have a good comparable for what Kevin Lankinen will be probably looking to re-sign for.

Netminder Mackenzie Blackwood, how was just traded to the Colorado Avalanche, put pen to paper on a five-year deal worth $26.25 million, earning him an average annual value (AAV) of $5.25 million per season.

Canucks Army put together the numbers to compare Blackwood to Lankinen to see how their career numbers stack up.

History shows that Blackwood has played in more games and has been considered a starting goalie longer, but regardless Lankinen has the better year-to-year stats than Blackwood.

Regardless of the fit is right for the Vancouver Canucks to resign Lankinen, the comparable has been set, and it seems that the 29-year-old netminder will be looking for at least Blackwood's number whether it with Vancouver or not...

Source: Canucks Army
What Blackwood's five-year deal with Avalanche means for the Canucks and Kevin Lankinen