Four Nations Face Off Goalie Emerges in Trade Rumours Ahead of the Deadline

Kevin Lankinen has been fantastic for the Vancouver Canucks this season, but ahead of the trade deadline, he's now been suggested as a trade piece for the team as their spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is certainly up in the air.

Despite struggling for most of the 2024/25 season, the Vancouver Canucks once again find themselves in a Stanley Cup Playoffs spot coming out of the Four Nations Face Off, with the team poised to make a Wild Card run for the remainder of the year.

They've done this despite many injuries, and with goaltender Thatcher Demko seemingly getting healthy, this has led to plenty of speculation, with rumours now surfacing that Kevin Lankinen may be available ahead of the trade deadline.

This would be an incredibly risky move for the Canucks, as Demko has struggled to stay healthy for any significant stretch of time in his NHL career, but if the team believe in him, getting a return back for Lankinen may be better than playing him as the backup.

Originally, that's what Lankinen was signed to be in the summer, but with Demko's health issues persisting, he's played in 34 games this season, impressing with a 2.53 GAA and a .905 save percentage, earning himself a spot on the Finnish National Team at the Four Nations Face Off.

It's unclear whether or not the Canucks will be a Stanley Cup contender this season with the way the injuries have played out and the way the lineup has been shaken up as of late, but if they don't believe they can be a genuine threat in the Western Conference, don't be surprised to hear talk heat up around Lankinen's name over the coming weeks.

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