With Thatcher Demko sidelined and Vancouver fighting a short pre-season runway, Kevin Lankinen’s strong start and Braeden Cootes’ scoring involvement stood out in a 3-1 loss to Calgary on Tuesday.
The Story
The Vancouver Canucks lost 3-1 to the Calgary Flames at the Saddledome on Tuesday, but the game offered two notable positives as Vancouver prepared for the regular season with its goaltending and youthful core under scrutiny.
The Flames controlled much of the match after a scoreless stretch through 35 minutes, turning the tide in the second period and ultimately building a 3-1 lead. Calgary’s advantage was sharpened by a lineup in which every Calgary skater was described as projected to be ready for the NHL roster, while Vancouver’s pre-set group was more heavily weighted toward players not expected to be in Edmonton-bound (or season-opening) NHL roles. The end result was a third-period Vancouver pushback that produced a single consolation goal.
Kevin Lankinen, expected to start in Game 1, delivered encouraging performance despite the circumstances. With Thatcher Demko still sidelined while working back from major hip surgeries, Lankinen saw extensive work in his first pre-season start and made 27 saves. His stops included point-blank denials on Martin Pospisil and Ryan Strome, and he also looked composed tracking pucks through traffic that frequently crowded his crease.
Lankinen’s workload was also notable given recent form in training camp. He struggled in the scrimmage on Saturday, and in that earlier game Calgary’s Joel Farabee scored on a breakaway that Lankinen stopped only as far as a goal, while Samuel Honzek later beat him on a rebound to extend Calgary’s lead. Another goal came when Matt Coronato got the better of Lankinen from close range on an outnumbered rush.
Offensively, Vancouver’s goal came in the third period when Arshdeep Bains finished from the low slot after Braeden Cootes set him up. The sequence reflected Vancouver’s more successful late adjustments after Calgary’s rapid scoring surge near the end of the middle period.
Cootes stood out as the most dynamic connecting piece for the Canucks in the exhibition games. The 19-year-old centre was involved in all three of Vancouver’s goals in its first two exhibitions, with his most recent impact featuring an interception of a Flames rim-around and a follow-up play that sent Bains into scoring position from the low slot.
Cootes’ status has also become a question of roster management as the Canucks weigh development pathways. A year ago, he became the first Vancouver player in 25 years to make the team in training camp as an 18-year-old, but he played only three NHL games before being returned to junior. This season, he is a first-round pick in 2025 and, as a 19-year-old, is eligible to play in the American Hockey League if Vancouver determines that route best for his long-term development.
After Tuesday’s morning skate in Vancouver, Cootes said management will make decisions based on what is best for his long-term interests, and he emphasized that he does not control whether he spends time in the NHL or the AHL. He also framed the choice as one that could still be beneficial for his development, suggesting that if the AHL option opens the door to larger roles, it would represent an upgrade over another season in the Western Hockey League.
Another major thread running through Vancouver’s pre-season is the compression of preparation. Canucks coach Manny Malhotra said the timeline between training camp and the regular season creates limited runway, estimating there are between eight and 10 ice sessions along with two games before the season begins. Malhotra stressed the importance of attention to detail in skates and morning sessions because the exhibition opportunities are brief.
The structure of the pre-season has also been affected by a new two-game limit tied to veteran experience. The limit applies only to players who have appeared in at least 100 NHL games. In contrast, players such as Cootes and 18-year-old first-rounder Adam Novotny, along with experienced minor-league prospects like Bains, Victor Mancini and Guillaume Brisebois, are not covered by the restriction.
Vancouver is expected to feature more NHL-heavy lineups for the final two rehearsals at home, starting Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers. Malhotra said the two-game limit has been a topic of discussion among players, particularly because veteran players have expressed interest in playing three or four exhibitions.
While Vancouver moves toward its next road and home tests, the practical significance of Tuesday’s result is clearest in what it revealed about short-term roles. Lankinen’s performance reinforces that he can handle a starter’s workload if Demko’s recovery timetable continues to keep him out, while Cootes’ scoring involvement highlights a pathway to NHL opportunity even amid roster and league eligibility decisions.
In a game where Vancouver was outmatched for stretches, the late goal and the younger players’ involvement also offer a measure of momentum heading into the final phase of the pre-season. With the season’s start approaching quickly, those factors may weigh more than the final margin as the Canucks sort out their rotation and refine the execution needed for regular-season structure.
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