The Canucks Have Lost Nine Straight, and Kevin Lankinen's .807 Save Percentage Is the Number Fantasy Managers Cannot Ignore

The Vancouver Canucks lost their ninth straight game on Thursday night, a 5-2 home defeat to the Detroit Red Wings at Rogers Arena. Lucas Raymond scored twice for Detroit, and the Canucks fell to 2-9-1, going 0-8-1 over their last nine games. The streak has turned an uneven start into a crisis, and it has made Vancouver one of the clearest fantasy and betting fades in the league.

The most important number for fantasy managers belongs to Kevin Lankinen. Through eight appearances, he has a 6.18 goals-against average and an .807 save percentage. Those are the kind of numbers that can sink a fantasy team's ratios for weeks.

How the Detroit loss unfolded

The game was over almost before it started. Lankinen allowed three goals in the first nine minutes, and the Canucks spent the rest of the night chasing. He finished with 26 saves on 31 shots. It was the fourth time this season that Vancouver gave up both the first and second goals of a game, a pattern that has defined the losing streak.

Elias Pettersson scored on a first-period power play, and Jonathan Lekkerimaki added a goal and an assist for his first multi-point game of the season. Those were the only bright spots for Vancouver in a game Detroit controlled.

Coach Manny Malhotra had stuck with Lankinen in net as the streak reached eight games, and he kept him there against Detroit. General manager Ryan Johnson has publicly urged patience, according to Sportsnet.

Lankinen is a fantasy liability right now

The table below summarizes the key numbers from Vancouver's start.

An .807 save percentage is far below the league average, and it has a direct impact on a fantasy team's ratio categories. Every start Lankinen makes at this level costs a manager ground in goals-against average and save percentage, and the losses also take away the win category.

The answer is simple: bench Lankinen until he shows signs of improvement. In shallow leagues, he can be dropped. In deeper leagues, he can be held on the bench as a long-term hope, but he should not be in a starting lineup while the Canucks are playing like this.

Pettersson and Lekkerimaki are the bright spots

Pettersson has four goals and eight assists through 12 games, which is a solid scoring pace on a struggling team. Local coverage has described him as finding a spark during the skid, and his power-play production gives him a stable fantasy floor. He is a hold and a likely buy-low candidate, since his managers may be frustrated with the team's results.

Lekkerimaki is the most interesting fantasy name on the roster. His first multi-point game of the season showed the scoring touch that made him a top prospect, and a struggling team may give him a longer look in a scoring role. He is worth adding in deeper leagues and dynasty formats.

The bigger problem is five-on-five

Beyond the goaltending, the Canucks have been badly outplayed at even strength, and they have gone long stretches without generating offense. In one game during the streak, they went nearly 40 minutes without a shot on goal. That kind of drought is a sign of a team struggling to move the puck through the neutral zone, and it puts even more pressure on the goaltending.

That matters for fantasy because it limits the upside of every Vancouver forward. Even the players producing points are doing so on a team that spends much of the game defending, and the plus-minus numbers will reflect it.

The Detroit side of the box score

The Red Wings deserve credit as well. Lucas Raymond scored twice and continues to look like one of the most productive young forwards in the Eastern Conference, and he is a must-start in all fantasy formats. A win on the road, built on a fast start, is the kind of performance that makes Detroit an interesting team to back in the coming weeks.

For fantasy managers streaming skaters, the lesson from this game is simple: target the teams playing Vancouver. Opponents' top lines have feasted during the streak, and that is likely to continue until the Canucks fix their defensive structure and their goaltending.

Betting angle

The Canucks have become one of the easiest fades in the NHL. A team on a nine-game losing streak with a goalie posting an .807 save percentage is a natural target for opponents' moneylines and puck lines, and Vancouver overs are worth a look given how many goals the team is allowing.

There is a counterpoint. Losing streaks eventually end, and the market may overcorrect against a team that still has talented players. A strong goaltending performance, from Lankinen or anyone else, could end the streak quickly, and the value on Vancouver at long odds will grow the longer the streak goes. For the model's view of upcoming games, check the NHL predictions page.

What to do in your league

Bench Lankinen until his numbers improve, and consider dropping him in shallow leagues. Hold Pettersson and look for a buy-low window. Add Lekkerimaki in deeper and dynasty leagues. Avoid streaming Vancouver forwards in daily formats until the team's even-strength play improves. And for opponents, the Canucks remain one of the best matchups in the league for skaters and goalies alike.