Vancouver’s goaltending picture is crowded enough to force a decision, and Nikita Tolopilo sits right in the middle of it. After a split season that showed both promise and pain, his future for 2026-27 will likely depend on whether the Canucks keep all three goalies or turn one into an asset.
A Season of Constant Movement
Tolopilo spent much of 2025-26 bouncing between levels, which made it hard for him to settle into a rhythm. He played 19 games in the AHL and 21 in the NHL, a workload that kept him active but rarely comfortable.
The raw results were uneven, and the numbers told a blunt story.
- AHL: 3.07 goals-against average, .897 save percentage
- NHL: 3.61 goals-against average, .881 save percentage
- Games with three or more goals allowed: 14
That stat line does not read like a breakthrough season, but it also does not erase the flashes that kept him in the conversation. Tolopilo showed enough in certain starts to make Vancouver think twice about treating him like a simple depth option.
The Games That Changed the Conversation
Two late-January outings gave Tolopilo his best argument for a larger role. He opened that stretch with three straight starts and allowed only four total goals, even though the team in front of him failed to support him consistently.
One performance nearly became his first NHL shutout. He stopped 32 shots in a 2-0 win, but a brief appearance by Kevin Lankinen during concussion protocol meant the shutout belonged to the club rather than Tolopilo himself.
A few days later, he followed with a stronger show against Toronto, turning aside 39 shots in a 3-2 shootout loss. He even stopped Auston Matthews on an overtime penalty shot, the kind of highlight that can stay on a goaltender’s résumé for years.
The second half of the season was tougher. After another stint in the AHL, Tolopilo returned to Vancouver and played 11 more games from March through April, with eight starts. Only one of those starts stayed under two goals against, though he ended on a positive note by beating Anaheim and stopping 24 of 27 shots on April 12.
Why Vancouver’s Crease Is So Complicated
The Canucks do not have a quiet goalie room. Thatcher Demko, Kevin Lankinen, and Tolopilo all sit in the same pipeline, and that is too many names for too few netminding jobs.
That situation creates a simple problem and a difficult choice. Vancouver cannot spend the season carrying excess goaltending if it wants flexibility elsewhere on the roster. The front office will need to decide whether Tolopilo is the odd man out or the piece that makes a trade possible.
Several factors make this situation interesting:
- Demko and Lankinen are established veterans.
- Tolopilo is 26, which fits a longer-term build better than a short-term patch.
- His NHL sample is still small enough to leave room for growth.
- The team may prefer a younger, cheaper timeline in net as it resets around the rest of the roster.
That combination gives Tolopilo value beyond his current numbers. Teams often pay for goaltending depth when a player has already shown he can handle NHL minutes, even if the results have been mixed.
What He Has to Prove in Camp
Tolopilo’s best path starts with a strong training camp. He does not need to win the job outright on opening day, but he does need to make the decision unavoidable.
He can help himself in two ways:
- Force management to consider moving a veteran goalie.
- Raise his trade value enough to create a real market elsewhere.
If Vancouver keeps all three goalies, his job becomes simpler to describe and harder to execute. He must stay sharp, be ready for every start, and avoid becoming the forgotten third option in a crowded room.
That is not glamorous work, but it can keep him relevant. For a player trying to establish himself in the league, relevance matters almost as much as save percentage.
Most Likely Paths for 2026-27
The cleanest outcome is a trade. Vancouver has more NHL-caliber goaltenders than it has roster space, and Tolopilo is the most movable of the group if the Canucks decide to clear the logjam.
If he stays in Vancouver, the most realistic expectation is a rotation role with roughly 30 to 35 starts. That would still leave him fighting for consistency, but it would also keep him close to the organization’s plans.
If he is traded, the workload could grow quickly. A team looking for a 1A/1B setup may see him as a useful partner rather than just insurance, which could push him toward 40 or more starts depending on the destination.
One path is not on the table: waivers. Vancouver is not likely to risk losing him for nothing, so the choice should come down to keeping him or moving him.
What It All Means
Tolopilo does not need to be Vancouver’s top goalie to matter. He just needs to be the goalie whose age, timeline, and trade value make the most sense for the next step.
If he survives camp in the organization, he could become part of a rotating solution. If he leaves, he may finally get the steady workload that his recent seasons never provided. Either way, his next chapter will probably say a lot about what the Canucks want their crease to look like moving forward.