Fantasy Summary
A big game goalie who seems to raise his game in the playoffs.
Observations
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June 2022 – At the end of the 2020-2021 season, Lankinen appeared to be the Blackhawks starting goalie. However, during the 2021 off-season the Blackhawks acquired veteran netminder Marc-Andre Fleury. Acting as backup goalie, he played just over 30 games posting a SV% of 0.891 and goals saved above average of -15.51. The decreased playing time, lack of confidence from management, along with a hand injury resulted in a very shaky Lankinen. This wasn’t entirely his fault, the team in front of him clearly wasn’t playing that well either.
Nonetheless, the team is now on its way to a proper rebuild and
Lankinen still has the potential to be the goalie the Blackhawks were hoping for. He’s a UFA this summer and all signs indicate he’ll be resigned as the starting goalie unless the Blackhawks dive into the free-agent market. – Puneet Sharma
April 2020 – The Blackhawks have signed the Finnish goaltender to a two-year deal worth an average annual value of $800,000. Lankinen’s transition to North America has been a bit tougher than expected, especially after his standout performance at the 2019 World Championships where he led team Finland to a gold medal. With the uncertainty surrounding the Blackhawks goaltending situation, Lankinen is in a great position to earn a spot this coming season. Tony Carr
February 2019 – Lankinen was signed coming off an incredible run with HIFK after returning from injury. He is a big, mobile goalie with strong lateral movement. Capable of stealing games, his impossibly good ratios have returned to a more sustainable level since coming to Rockford of the AHL. All in all, a solid start to his career in North America. Tony Carr
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