Nashville Predators goaltender Kevin Lankinen has yet to start in the NHL this season, however, he’s been staying sharp when he’s called upon.
“I feel great, I feel confident. I put in the work every day doing some extra stuff to make sure I’m staying sharp and I feel like my game is at a good point,” Lankinen said. “I did some things this summer to elevate my own game to another level and I think the coaches have been happy with what they’ve seen. Just waiting for my opportunity and being a good teammate here.”
So far Lankinen has seen 40 minutes of action after stepping in for Juuse Saros against the Edmonton Oilers last week. He made 17 saves allowing two goals, and has not seen action since then.
“I treat practices as my games and I train the way I play,” Lankinen said. “Whenever I get the nod I don’t have to change anything. I like to go hard in practice and challenge myself and challenge the other guys and make them better as well. I think It’s an easy mentality to go into the game and do the same thing you do every day.”
Head coach Andrew Brunette said on Tuesday that he and the Predators staff have a number in mind for how many starts they want to give Saros.
Last season Lankinen had 18 starts for Nashville going 9-8-1 after signing a one-year deal in 2022 for $1.5 million. This spring Lankinen earned another one-year deal worth $2 million.
Kevin Lankinen during Nashville’s preseason doubleheader in Florida.
“We have a number in mind for sure and schedule-wise for us this week it’s pretty light for us but we’ll get Lankinen involved here, yeah we have to monitor that a little bit,” Brunette said.
Saros is low-maintenance for the Predators coaching staff and for Brunette, he’s seen firsthand how competitive he is and how his teammates treat him on the ice.
Nashville’s All-Star netminder has seen the most starts (136) and most saves (4,002) in the NHL since the start of the 2021 regular season, excluding playoffs.
Lankinen approaches his role with Saros with grace knowing he’s in Nashville to be a consummate teammate.
“It goes both ways. You can be a good teammate and still be dedicated and passionate at the same time and that’s my mentality,” Lankinen said.
Saros and Lankinen both got married this summer and it’s the perfect microcosm of their relationship.
“I’ve learned over the last year from Juice and [Ben Vanderklok] the goalie coach and I think personality and the way I carry myself balances out and centers Jusse as well,” Lankinen said. “He knows I’m there for him and he’ll be there for me so you know it gives you peace at mind to focus on your own thing.”
As the duo are on their own island playing at the position they understand having conversations are vital to grow even away from the ice.
“It’s a lot more fun when you get along and have a good time but at the same time goalies are on an island and only goalies can understand what we go through so it’s huge to have somebody you can lean on.
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