Lankinen Opens Camp as the Starter. That Wasn't the Plan.

Thatcher Demko won't be a full participant when training camp opens, which means Kevin Lankinen is back in the familiar position of carrying the crease before the season even begins. The Canucks confirmed as much Tuesday, and the reporting out of camp suggests Lankinen is prepared to shoulder a heavy load again early.

This is not a new problem for Vancouver, just a recurring one. Goaltending availability was a quiet drag on last season's results — a team that went 15–17 in one-goal games had the talent to compete in close situations but needed its goaltender to hold leads. Lankinen did what he could. The question heading into September 29 in Edmonton is how long he's asked to do it alone.

The Canucks did sign Chris Driedger to a professional tryout in late August, so there's a contingency body in camp. But Driedger is a depth option, not a solution. The organization's goaltending plan for 2026–27 was built around Demko returning healthy. That plan is already running behind schedule, and the season opener is less than two weeks out.