Vancouver Canucks still chasing top free agent goalie

According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Vancouver Canucks are still in on top free agent goalie Kevin Lankinen, though there is some work to be done still.

Lankinen, 29, remains a free agent after a productive 2023-24 season in which he went 11-6-0 as Juuse Saros's understudy, posting a 2.82 GAA, a .908 save percentage, and one shutout.

Lankinen has reportedly denied the first contract offer he received from the Canucks, which explains Friedman's latest stance on the matter.

"There's still a dance with Kevin Lankinen," Friedman wrote in his "32 Thoughts" column on Monday. "But the two sides are not in agreement on compensation."

If the Canucks are drawing a hard line on a salary number for Lankinen, that is a very understandable position to take given their current cap situation. The Canucks currently have just $190,833 in cap space, which is nowhere near enough to sign a veteran player to a contract.

Additionally, the Canucks have the maximum 23 players on their current NHL roster, which includes injured goalies Thatcher Demko and Arturs Silovs as well as defenseman Tucker Poolman.

Poolman, unlike the two netminders, is a potential LTIR candidate, though the Canucks are hoping to avoid dipping into that relief pool this season as they continue to fly close to the sun that is the salary cap ceiling.

For further reference, Lankinen's last contract saw him carry a $2 million cap hit, which the Canucks are a ways away from offering.

Goalie Dylan Ferguson, attending Canucks training camp on a professional tryout offer, gives the Canucks someone to lean on, at least for now, with former backup goalie Casey DeSmith joining the Dallas Stars in the offseason.

It is unclear how much the Canucks have offered Lankinen in terms of salary so far, but the fact that they are still interested this late in the game suggests they have a plan in place to make things work.