Canucks lineup notes: Mancini draws in for Forbort, Lankinen starts vs. Blues

Thatcher Demko has started the Canucks’ first two games of the season, and looked sharp in both games. Particularly in the Canucks’ Saturday night loss to the Edmonton Oilers, Demko reminded everyone why he finished as the runner-up for the Vezina Trophy back in 2023-24, stopping 34 of 36 Oilers shots, many of which were of the high-danger variety. Plenty of ink has been spilled about how the Canucks must keep Demko’s total number of starts limited in an effort to keep him healthy for the entirety of the season, and tonight will mark his first night off of the season. Lankinen was absolutely phenomenal for the Canucks at the start of last season, and they’ll hope that level continues this season, as Lankinen is in year one of a five-year contract extension that the club signed him to last season.

On defence, Victor Mancini will suit up in his first game of the season as he draws in for Derek Forbort, who is being given a maintenance day. Mancini turned in a strong effort at Canucks training camp, but found himself as the odd man out from what turned out to be a fairly crowded Canucks blue line. But with PO Joseph getting banged up in the preseason, Mancini was the Canucks’ first call-up of the season, and tonight, he gets another chance to prove he belongs at this level.

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