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Vancouver Canucks goalie is having a historically bad start to the season

Vancouver Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen is off to one of the worst starts to a season in NHL history.
ByMichael DeRosa
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Oct 22, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen (32) handles the puck against the Detroit Red Wings in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Oct 22, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen (32) handles the puck against the Detroit Red Wings in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Vancouver Canucks extended their losing streak to three games with their 5-4 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night.

Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen had another tough start for the Pacific Division club in this matchup. This is because he allowed five goals on 22 shots, which equates to a .773 save percentage.

This was just the latest rough game for Lankinen with Vancouver. The 31-year-old netminder has allowed five goals in back-to-back starts. He has also given up at least four goals in each of his last five starts. This does not include his brief relief appearance against the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 10, where he allowed a goal on just three shots.

With this, it is clear that Lankinen has had an ugly start to this season. In fact, after his latest poor performance, he has now officially had one of the worst starts to a season by a goalie in NHL history.

According to StatsCentre, Lankinen has the fifth-worst goals-against average (6.03 GAA) by a goalie in their first nine games of a season in NHL history.

With this, there is no question that Lankinen is having a nightmare start to the season. With this latest loss, the seven-year NHL veteran now has a 1-8-0 record, a 6.03 goals-against average, and an .808 save percentage.

Lankinen can't be blamed alone for the Canucks' 3-13-1 record start to the season, though. The Canucks have not played well in front of him, as evidenced by them winning just one of their last 14 games. Yet, if the Canucks hope to get through this brutal stretch, there is no question that they are going to need Lankinen to regroup.

Why Lankinen can get things back on track amid historically bad start to the season

Although Lankinen has struggled early on this season, there is reason to believe that he can regroup.

Lankinen had a tough season in 2025-26, as he posted an 11-27-5 record, a 3.70 goals-against average, and an .875 save percentage in 47 games. However, he was very good for Vancouver in 2024-25, posting a 25-15-10 record, a 2.62 goals-against average, a .902 save percentage, and four shutouts in 51 games.

Lankinen also had a .902 save percentage or better from 2022-23 to 2024-25. This included during the 2022-23 season with the Nashville Predators, as he had a .916 save percentage in 19 games. With this, he has shown not too long ago that he can be an effective NHL goalie. It is exactly why Vancouver signed him to a five-year, $22.5 million contract extension back in February 2025.

It will now be interesting to see if Lankinen can get things back on track for Vancouver. While he has struggled big time early on, there is still plenty of time for him to rebound.

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