The Vancouver Canucks have been plotting their next moves for months now. The team has long been out of the playoff picture. As such, the focus has been on running out the clock on the 2025-26 season and preparing for the next steps ahead.
The first major step will come at the 2026 NHL Draft. Their approach will largely depend on where their first-round pick lands. That aside, there will be other major roster considerations this offseason.
In particular, the Canucks will need to figure out their situation in the crease. One of the biggest reasons for this season’s implosion was the season-ending injury to starting netminder Thatcher Demko.
When he’s healthy, Demko is an all-world goalie. But he’s been anything but healthy in the last few seasons. That situation has made Demko’s contract extension look like an albatross.
By the same token, the Canucks have Kevin Lankinen. Lankinen has been a marine for the team over the last couple of seasons. But the problem is that having Demko on the books at $8.5 million and Lankinen at $4.5 million is simply too much.
Spending $13 million on goalies is a ludicrous proposition. While the Canucks could afford to carry some dead weight on the books for now, the bottom line is that one goalie will have to. But it might not be the one the organization would like to move.
Canucks Would Love to Find a Taker for Demko
The Canucks would love to find a taker for Demko. His injury history had made his contract a burden for the organization. Unfortunately, his body just hasn’t held up. That’s why paying $8.5 million for the next three seasons is something Vancouver is likely dreading.
One way out would be if Demko just doesn’t ever play again. The Canucks could carry his contract on LTIR for the remainder. That might be too easy of an out, however.
The likelihood is that Demko will try to get back into the lineup. That effort could make it challenging for the organization to keep his full cap hit on the books. Moving Demko’s $8.5 million gives the organization some leeway.
Otherwise, the Canucks will have an expensive problem on their hands.
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Trading Lankinen Would Be Outrageous
The nuclear option would be trading Lankinen. Moving the Finnish netminder would actually be far easier, particularly considering the number of goalie-starved teams out there. There would be no shortage of suitors for Lankinen.
In fact, the Canucks could really get something meaningful back for Lankinen. That move would only make sense if the organization commits its younger netminders Nikita Tolopilo and Jiri Patera.
In doing so, it wouldn’t ultimately matter if Demko ever plays again. If he does, great. And if he doesn’t, it won’t matter. The Canucks would have two young goalies looking to share the crease moving forward.
This summer should prove challenging for the Canucks front office. Dealing with the mess they made in the crease will require some creative thinking and stomach to bear the outcomes.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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