Kevin Lankinen signs with Nashville
After a promising rookie season, Kevin Lankinen was expected to become the future of the Blackhawks' goaltending. His development quickly declined after playing last season alongside Marc-Andre Fleury; being a backup seemingly didn't benefit him. Fans expected Lankinen would get another starting chance after Fleury got traded, but on the second day of free agency he signed with the Nashville Predators.
Last week the Hawks only had Lankinen and Collin Delia, leading fans to believe he would be the starting goalie next season. The vision changed during this year's NHL entry draft when the Blackhawks traded the 38 overall pick to Toronto for goalie Petr Mrazek and the 25 overall pick. Chicago couldn't reach an agreement with Lankinen, making him a free agent.
In his rookie season, Lankinen earned 17 wins and two shutouts. He has a .901 save percentage in 69 games played. He signed the contract on July 14, it lasts one year and is worth $1,500,000.
The Blackhawks' goalie tandem during the 2022-2023 season will be Mrazek and newly signed Alex Stalock.
| POLL | ||
Will we see Kevin Lankinen again in the future? | ||
| Yes! | 71 | 32.9 % |
| No, no, and no. | 50 | 23.1 % |
| I don't really care either way. | 49 | 22.7 % |
| I want what's best for the rebuild. | 46 | 21.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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