Lankinen appears to be poised for more consistency during the 2026-27 season after a shaky performance last year, Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports Monday.
Analysis:Lankinen made 47 regular-season appearances last year -- the second-highest mark of his career -- but went 11-27-5 with a career-worst 3.70 GAA and .875 save percentage. However, he was tending to some personal matters during the 2025-26 campaign, and with Thatcher Demko's (hip) status uncertain ahead of training camp this year, Lankinen could have the opportunity to emerge as part of a timeshare that would presumably allow him more time to rest and generate more consistent success. Lankinen has proven to be capable of performing well over a full season, as he went 25-15-10 with a 2.62 GAA and .902 save percentage across 51 regular-season appearances with Vancouver in the 2024-25 campaign.
