Vancouver Canucks News

The Canucks have lost two straight and will likely turn to Lankinen between the pipes on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Kings. Lankinen was solid in his most recent outing, saving 32 of 34 shots (.941 SV%), but did not receive ample goal support, losing 3-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights. The 29-year-old netminder has a 2.52 GAA and .907 SV% in 35 games this season (19-9-7). The Canucks enter Wednesday's contest as +150 road underdogs against a Kings squad with points in six straight (5-0-1).

Colton Dach will draw back into Chicago's lineup on Tuesday against Utah HC, sending Reichel to the press box as a healthy scratch. The 22-year-old Reichel is averaging 12:11 time-on-ice and has 16 points (5G / 11A) in 50 games this season.

LaBate was the 101st overall pick of the Vancouver Canucks in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He played 13 games with the Canucks, scoring zero points, in the 2016-17 season, but has exclusively been an AHL player since. The 31-year-old LaBate has 13 points (6G / 7A) in 33 games with the Cleveland Monsters (AHL) this season.

With Thatcher Demko battling a lower-body injury during the preseason, the Canucks signed Lankinen to a one-year contract to temporarily fill the void in the team's crease. That said, Lankinen has impressed in his first season with the Canucks, posting a solid 2.53 GAA, .905 SV%, and four shutouts in 34 games (19-8-7), earning himself a lucrative five-year, $22.5 million contract.

Demko will not make Vancouver's upcoming five-game road trip after it was announced he is week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Vancouver expects to re-evaluate the goaltender when they return from Seattle next weekend. Kevin Lankinen in the meantime is expected to get the majority of the Canucks' starts going forward.

O'Connor was acquired from Pittsburgh in late January in the deal that saw Marcus Pettersson also come to Vancouver and has signed a two-year, $5 million contract extension ($2.5 million AAV) on Tuesday to remain a Canuck for the foreseeable future. O'Connor is in his fifth NHL season and has eight goals and 18 points in 57 games played between Pittsburgh and Vancouver in 2024-25.