The Vancouver Canucks are still in search of another goaltender with Thatcher Demko’s status up in the air as training camp approaches. Although Arturs Silovs, who was dealing with knee inflammation that cause him to miss Team Latvia’s Olympic qualifying tournament, appears to be healthy, uncertainty remains regarding Demko’s status.
In preparation, the Canucks extended a professional tryout (PTO) invitation to goaltender Dylan Ferguson for training camp on Sunday night. However, according to multiple reports, the club’s pursuit of a more permanent solution continues. Free agent Kevin Lankinen, the best available goaltender on the market, remains a target even after the Ferguson PTO, according to Rick Dhaliwal of Donnie and Dhali — The Team.
“This PTO is to ensure they have enough goalies for training camp in case Thatcher Demko can’t participate,” said Dhaliwal. “Rick Tocchet wants six goalies for camp, and this move guarantees they will have six. But this doesn’t mean they’re done with Lankinen. If they can agree on the money, they’re still interested in bringing him in.”
The 29-year-old Lankinen, who played for the Nashville Predators last season, posted an 11-6-0 record, a 2.82 goals-against average, and a .908 save percentage. Earlier in the summer, Vancouver made an offer to Lankinen, but it wasn’t enough to secure his services. Now, the Canucks are hoping to strike a deal but are reportedly struggling to meet the goaltender’s salary expectations.
Should the Canucks fail to sign Lankinen, they would appear set to enter the season with Arturs Silovs serving as their starter with Jiri Patera, Nikita Tolopilo, and potentially Dylan Ferguson waiting in the wings.
As training camp begins this week, the Canucks will continue their search for the right solution between the pipes, hoping to solidify their goalie tandem for the upcoming season. The preseason kicks off on Tuesday, September 24, with the Kraken visiting the Canucks at Rogers Arena.
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