Canucks: Why Kevin Lankinen must be more than just goaltending insurance

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Good guy. Good goalie. Good choice.

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That’s the common refrain when you ask about Kevin Lankinen, the undrafted goaltender with an upbeat personality. It could have something to do with his heritage — Finns have a zest for life and laughter, as the Vancouver Canucks can attest in former engaging players Sami Salo and Jarkko Ruutu — or it can be simple.

If attitude is everything then the Canucks weren’t just budget conscious in acquiring unrestricted free agent Lankinen on Saturday at a bargain one-year, $875,000 US commitment. They got someone who gets it to help solve their crease conundrum as Thatcher Demko, 28, continues to rehab from a knee-muscle injury with no timeline to resume his starting role.

And with Arturs Silovs, 23, proving in a camp finale scrimmage Sunday in Penticton that he is poised to play a bigger role this season, then the Canucks’ biggest concern is to be salary cap compliant by opening night. In the interim, there is intrigue in Lankinen, 29, who had his NHL moments with the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators.

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Former Canucks head coach Marc Crawford was an assistant for Lankinen’s two rollercoaster campaigns in Chicago and is back running the ZSC Zurich Lions bench in the Swiss National League. His take on the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Helsinki native paints an interesting portrait.

“Extremely hard-working and mentally strong, and his conditioning is top level,” Crawford told Postmedia. “When he’s at the top of his game, he’s a very capable backup who can carry the ball for short periods of time. He hasn’t shown he can do it for long period yet, but I love goalies that battle in practice — and he absolutely did that in Chicago.

“Jimmy Waite (goalie coach) loved his quickness, and especially when it came to recovery after the first save. I really hope he finds his groove with the Canucks.”

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Former Predators teammate and Canucks addition Kiefer Sherwood described Lankinen as an “excellent goalie and fun-loving guy.”

That’s important and infectious. For a tandem to be effective — even in the short-term amid the Demko dilemma — they better get along. And in a room that could house as many as eight newcomers, forming a quick bond can have a wide-spread effect.

The Canucks were fortunate to have back-up Casey DeSmith last season because determination was matched by demeanour. He stepped up when Demko went down with a knee injury, and his trademark grin and amiable and articulate manner played a supportive role — especially with an uncertain future.

However, he got three years at $1 million annually from the Dallas Stars on July 1. They value the importance of camaraderie and compete for the 33-year-old to mesh with starter Jake Oettenger, 23, who will be a restricted free agent after this season.

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After all, that image of DeSmith’s post-game hug with the injured Demko on April 13 in Edmonton, after the back-up made 32 saves in an impressive 3-1 win, is the stuff people notice, and it gets around the league.

Which gets us back to Lankinen.

At his best, he’s a competent back-up stopper capable of more. He logged 24 games with the Predators last season, and in a tandem with workhorse Juuse Saros, he compiled a credible 11-6-0 record, 2.82 goals-against average and .908 saves percentage.

Lankinen believes he can be a starter, but supplanting Saros, 29, wasn’t going to happen, not with his book of work and a mammoth eight-year, $61.92-million extension signed July 1 that kicks in for the 2025-26 season.

“I love it here, that’s no secret,” Lankinen told The Tennessean prior to the Saros contract commitment. “The coaching staff. The team we have in the locker room. The city itself. Unbelievable, top notch. At the same time, so much to think about.”

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And when the Predators then signed back-up Scott Wedgwood, 31, to a two-year, $3.1-million deal on the first day of free agency, Lankinen attracted interest from several suitors, especially the patient Canucks.

“I believe that the opportunities that are supposed to be there will show up, whatever it is,” predicted a confident Lankinen. He was right.

Last season against the Canucks, he allowed four goals on 26 shots in a 5-2 loss on Oct. 31 at Rogers Arena. And on Dec. 19 at Nashville, he replaced a struggling Saros in the third period and didn’t allow a goal on 11 shots in another 5-2 setback.

Demko’s popliteus muscle connection

The actual nature of Demko’s knee injury had the medical community searching for a more accurate diagnosis. Harjas Grewal is a B.C. physician and ardent hockey analyst who studied physical medicine. Here’s his take to Postmedia on Demko:

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“If I had to guess, I’d say it could be the popliteus muscle and specifically a tear in the tendon — if it has lingered this long.”

The popliteus muscle is in back of the leg and used for unlocking the knees by laterally rotating the femur on the tibia during the closed chain portion of the gait cycle with a foot in contact with the ground.

In open chain movements with involved limb not in contact with the ground, the popliteus located in back of the knee medially rotates the tibia on the femur. It’s also used when sitting or standing. It’s the only muscle in the posterior compartment of the lower leg that only acts on the knee.

bkuzma@postmedia.com

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