The Chicago Blackhawks were widely thought to be rebuilding this year, given their depth, or lack thereof. As of this writing, they are tied for first in the reworked Central Division, albeit, with some schedule luck. They are playing with at least 5-6 newcomers, and until recently, had major questions in goal. So, who is the guy pictured? Kevin Lankinen, a 25-year old Finn who is playing his first season in the NHL. He currently has a 7-2-3 record and a 2.29 GAA, with his first shutout coming in last night's 2-0 win at Detroit.
Lankinen is as close to an out-of-nowhere story as it gets, as he wasn't even drafted by an NHL team. In fact, he was considered an afterthought, as he didn't start regularly until the 2014-15 season, when he played with HIFK. It wasn't until 2018, when Chicago signed him to a two-year entry level deal. He was named as the Rockford Ice Hogs' representative in the AHL All-star game in 2020. At the start of the season, it was unclear where he would be, as his competition included Malcolm Subban and Colin Delia. Lankinen has impressed thus far, and in the process, may have finally answered the call to be the successor to Corey Crawford.
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