i would write an ode, if i could, about lanky.

he was ufa by july and while nashville extended an offer to make him their backup once more, he chose to leave because he knew he could be a starting or at least play as 1/2 of a tandem. and while the canucks signed with him, they did it in september which, while not uncommon, was already quite late given that the season’s already encroaching.

he was offered less than $1 mil which he declined, rightfully so given that he was earning $2 mil last season but the canucks can’t afford him. but with the season coming in close lanky agreed to this new cap because it was better than being unsigned. his contract at least included an eight team no-trade clause which gives him more control over his career (until, i guess, whatever happened to the rangers which was able to show how franchises could work around clauses like that). they said one way he could change his contract was to play good.

now he is playing beautifully — breaking records (first to start a season with 10-0-0 in away games); tied with previous vezina trophy winner hellebuyck in amounts of shutouts this season so far (3), one of which was against last season’s cup champions; and now he will play for finland in the four nations face off.

kevin lankinen is a canuck treasure even if he was, and maybe would only be, here for a short time.

(what a lad too — he shared, in an interview, how his passion for reading is one of the best ways that help him with his work because, “when you switch your mind off of hockey, that's how you preserve energy . . . i always had that curious mind to learn things outside of hockey too . . . i just always think that the better you are as a person, the better an athlete you are. the broader the view you have, i think that helps with perspective in hockey too. and reading has been a way for me to just detach a little bit and put my mind somewhere else.”

his passion for reading extended beyond personal interest when he started an ‘online book club with a publisher to help boost literacy for finnish youth.’)