Welcome back to WDYTT, the only hockey column on the internet that you need to mind.

Speaking of minding the net, the Vancouver Canucks have got some very interesting results from their netminding thus far in the 2026-27 season.

Kevin Lankinen’s performance has been, to put it plainly, not good. He has, as of this writing, a record of 1-6-0, a save percentage of .807, and a staggering 6.40 goals-against average. He’s allowed about 11 more goals than the stats say he was expected to.

Leevi Meriläinen, on the other hand, has been a revelation. Since being plucked from the Senators on waivers, he’s gone 1-1-1 with a save percentage of .925 and a GAA of 2.51. That save percentage is eighth in the entire NHL, and he ranks 16^th overall in goals-saved-above-expected.

Thatcher Demko, meanwhile, remains on the IR.

If the question were as simple as playing the better goaltender, it’d be Meriläinen most nights, and that’s easy enough to say. But the 2026-27 Vancouver Canucks are not really playing to win. They’re in the midst of a rebuild, and there are a couple of other elements to consider, including protecting Meriläinen from losing his confidence by losing a lot, and the fact that Lankinen’s performance only helps the tank roll on.

With those factors in mind, we thought we’d get your opinion on the whole situation.

This week, we’re asking:

Let it be known in the comment section.

You answered below!

It has to be Kevin Tankinen. Shaky goaltending is good for a tank but this is obscene! The guy got his save percentage into the .700s? Barely?

I always thought he was a solid backup to good spot-starter, but I don’t see a way off his contract. Leevi would be a perfect back up for a healthy Demmer, but for a young team, splitting starts between Demmer and Tanks is a soul crusher.

Our top line, D-Petey, Willander, and Meriläinen.

JUST PLAY LEEVI EVERY GAME PLEASE!!!!!

For me, Lekkerimäki and D-Petey, both didn’t look like they belonged in the NHL last season, and both have made massive jumps this season.

I was hopeful but not optimistic about an EP40 bounce-back and that Lekkerimäki finally shows as an NHL player. Pleasantly surprised. Nether are overwhelming, but both have been good.

Didn’t really know what to expect with Cotter or Meriläinen. Both surprisingly good.

I didn’t expect Lankinen to be a good goalie, but the magnitude of his regression is surprising.

Like Alex h said, Lekk and EP25 have been surprisingly good. While Buium, Öhgren, and Rossi haven’t been very good. Meriläinen hasn’t surprised me much….I watched him a lot in his rookie year and he was good. But he can’t keep stopping 30+ shots a game and win much. He will be shell-shocked in no time.

It is still very early, but Lekkerimäki has looked much more involved in the forecheck and board battles and his playmaking has looked much better to me as well.

I don’t think he will ever be much more than a complimentary third player on a scoring line, but he has looked much more likely to be able to play that role this season, which is a must for him because his skill set doesn’t leave many other options as a role for him on an NHL roster.

I expected D-Petey’s defensive game to bounce back this season after what was a tire fire for basically every player last year, but his improvements with the puck have been a surprise to me.

Willander has had ups and downs, but when he hasn’t been paired with Oleksiak I think he has played fairly well, especially with how he uses his skating on defense and to rush the puck up the ice. But he really needs to work on what to do with the puck once he rushes it up the ice because so often it just leads to nothing but him taking a skate into the a corner in the offensive zone.

His skating could be a real weapon, but right now the amount of offensive impact he gets from his skating is so muted by his decision making and puck skills.

There probably will not be a lot of differing answer on this one. Lekkerimäki is looking like he may actually belong in the NHL, where at the start of the season he was projecting as a potential draft miss.

I hope he can sustain his positive growth and avoid injury and become established as part of the long term rebuild, so far so good.

I’d have to say Paul Cotter has been a very nice surprise addition. Not knowing anything about him prior to this season, he’s putting his size and speed to good use, and making the most of his opportunity here in Vancouver.

Honourable mentions go to EP40 & JL. EP40 certainly looks engaged and showing signs of a bounce back season, on a dreadful team. JL has taken some heat and been labeled a draft miss, yet has come in and started well. Canucks need some of these players to start contributing. Here’s hoping he can keep it going.

What has surprised me the most about this season is how the camaraderie has remained positive among the players and among the coaching staff. You see them highly engaged with each other, always communicating, and lots of positive reinforcement. There are no hidden agendas, no snakes in the grass. The young guys are accepting whatever feedback they can get from the older players and everyone is buying in. You don’t see Manny throwing guys under the bus publicly, you don’t see Buium sulking because he was demoted to the third pair. Everyone wants to see the team succeed and it’s a good time to be a Canuck fan because this is starting to look like a proper rebuild.

I had low expectations for Lekky, so he has been a big surprise. I had modest expectations for KLanky, and he has been a big disappointment. I had high expectations for Buium, and he has disappointed, but not to the depths of KLanky.

I’ll have to go with Buium as my biggest surprise as I thought he would look much better this season paired with a veteran D-man.

As a Canucks fan living outside of BC, I’m surprised that none of the Canucks games to this point have been blacked out on regular Sportsnet. 8 for 8!

Biggest surprises have been DPT and Lekkerimäki. I thought DPT would be a solid #4 defenseman, but he is showing signs of being a top-pairing guy. Lekkerimäki is showing good hockey smarts and looks like he can be a solid top-six. Although not as big as Mark Stone, I see some similarities, so far anyways.

Can’t say I am surprised by Buium, because his best quality is giving interviews, along with the occasional offensive rush.

Rossi has been a negative surprise for me. Thought he would look more like the player who finished last season. The Canucks have been a one-line team. Nobody else seems to be threatening 5v5.

DeBrusk. Not only is he surprisingly still a Canuck, but four of his five points are even-strength.

DePetey for the win. Last season he was playing himself down the depth chart. This year he’s fifth in ATOI, getting shifts with Hronek, and beginning to emerge as the shutdown defender they need. It’s not just me, there was an article here earlier in the week all about Pettersson. Whoever wrote that was a genius.