Elliotte Friedman Speculates on Canucks' Free Agent Target

The Vancouver Canucks are actively exploring goaltending options ahead of the 2024–25 season, with Kevin Lankinen still on their radar to back up injured started Thatcher Demko as he gets accustomed to playing through pain.

According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, speaking on the Donnie & Dhali show on September 10 , Friedman confirmed that the Canucks remain interested in adding another goaltender to their roster if only to increase competition and provide a safety net in case of emergency.

"I do think that the Canucks would like that," Friedman said, revealing that bringing in another goalie is what Vancouver has in mind.

The Canucks have kept tabs on free-agent reminder and former Nashville Predators shot-stopper Kevin Lankinen, but the 28-year-old Finnish goaltender appears to be waiting to see if better opportunities arise.

Rick Dhaliwal first reported this interest back on September 3 when discussing Demko's status.

“Canucks continue to pursue UFA goaltender Kevin Lankinen," Dhaliwal said on X. "The club has made Lankinen an offer, but it’s not good enough to get a deal done right now. But the pursuit of Lankinen continues, we’ll see where that ends up.”

Lankinen, who posted a solid .918 save percentage in 19 games for the Nashville Predators last season, is in no rush to commit to Vancouver at this point, preferring to wait for a more guaranteed role.

That's the reason why there has been no news about a potential signing yet, with the goalie waiting for potential preseason injuries opening the door to a greener situation than Vancouver's.

“I don’t think Lankinen is disinterested in the Canucks,” Friedman said. "It just behooves him to wait as long as he can, or as long as he feels comfortable, to see what opportunities are out there."

Related: Report: Canucks' Thatcher Demko Dealing With Career-Altering Injury