Canucks Could Be In Tough Spot With Pending UFA Kevin Lankinen

"Where would the Canucks be" without Kevin Lankinen?, asked insider Pierre LeBrun. The last-minute signing of the goaltender by Vancouver at the beginning of training camp to a cheap $875,000 deal has got to be "one of the best signings of the year."

A pending UFA, Lankinen has been a rock in goal for the Canucks, with a 16-8-6 record, a .903 save percentage and a 2.63 goals against average. His performance has been the bright spot of an otherwise chaotic season in Vancouver, as last year's Vezina Trophy runner-up Thatcher Demko missed the first two months of the season, and has been a shell of his old self in the 12 games he has played, with an .867 save percentage and a 3.47 goals against average.

Now the Canucks have a big decision to make as we approach the trade deadline: Do they do their best to re-sign Lankinen, who is due for a huge raise, while Demko's $5 million is still on the books for next season? LeBrun said on TSN that talks are in very preliminary stages.

Both sides have expressed a mutual desire to extend the relationship past this year, (but) that's pretty much where it's at. There haven't been serious contract talks yet. But... He's due for a raise... And I don't know that Lankinen could be had for less than $4 million a year.

Two problems: for one, $9M would be a lot to tie up in the goaltending position, and two, LeBrun figures that the talks won't kick into a higher gear until they get a handle on where the salary cap will be at for next season. If that doesn't come before the trade deadline, the Canucks will have a tough decision to make.

Do they dare trade him if they don't think they can get a deal done?

Vancouver will have to weigh their available cap space amongst Lankinen and two other pending UFAs they'd like to potentially re-sign (at the right price) in Brock Boeser and Pius Suter.