Chicago Blackhawks: Kevin Lankinen Should Get a Start

The Chicago Blackhawks have horrendous goaltending, so why not continue the carousel and give Kevin Lankinen a shot in the net before turning back to Delia or Subban?

The Blackhawks’ goaltending looks bleak. Collin Delia and Malcolm Subban have not impressed and made multiple fundamental errors that lead to goals against. They are not helping, so why not send out the third goaltender to see what he’s got?

Based on EliteProspects, Kevin Lankinen‘s stats last year in the AHL are 3.03 GAA and a 0.904 save percentage. Yes, the goals against is not impressive but neither was the 0.890 save percentage and 3.18 GAA Subban had in Vegas, and yet he got a start.

Subban was playing behind a much more sound defensive group and system in Vegas, but he didn’t perform at all. Lankinen has a 0.904 save percentage in the minors behind a lacking defensive corps there, so why not take the risk and put him in against the Columbus Blue Jackets or Detroit Red Wings? It’s not like the current goaltenders have helped your goal differential (currently, a whopping 15-5).

Kevin Lankinen should get the next crack in the net for the Chicago Blackhawks

Lankinen may add to the goal differential but the Blackhawks have to give everyone they have on their current roster a look to see who they have to work with. Even if Lankinen loses a game 5-1, he will still be on par with the other goaltenders’ stats and performance-wise.

Delia lacks decision making and passes the puck to the opposition, and Subban doesn’t know when to use lateral movement, especially when he can’t find the puck. I don’t know what Kevin Lankinen has in his arsenal in skills, but the Blackhawks need to consider letting him have a start in the net, probably against the Columbus Blue Jackets in a couple of weeks. Throwing him in against the surprisingly effective Nashville Predators won’t end well (but neither would it against any of the other guys the ‘Hawks got).

The second period has been the Chicago Blackhawks kryptonite so far

No one is surprised to hear that I am not fond of the goaltending this year, and giving Lankinen a shot makes the most sense right now. The Chicago Blackhawks have nothing to lose any more with this hodgepodge, so why not give it a shot?