A crowded crease leaves no room for hesitation
Vancouver enters 2026-27 with a goaltending problem that is less about talent and more about math. Thatcher Demko, Kevin Lankinen, and Nikita Tolopilo cannot all keep meaningful roles for long, and the team will need a clean answer before the roster tightens.
Tolopilo is the most interesting piece because his path is the least predictable. He is old enough to help now, young enough to fit the next phase, and unproven enough that every practice rep matters.
Why last season mattered
His 2025-26 campaign was uneven, split between the AHL and the NHL, and the raw numbers did not flatter him. Even so, the season gave Vancouver a real sample size and a few moments that suggested there is still upside here.
- 19 AHL games, 21 NHL games
- 3.07 goals-against average and .897 save percentage in the AHL
- 3.61 goals-against average and .881 save percentage in the NHL
- 14 starts with three or more goals allowed
Those figures show the problems plainly. They also hide the fact that he handled stretches of heavy pressure and stayed in the conversation when many fringe goalies would have faded out.
The nights that changed the discussion
A few games stood out because they looked like proof of concept. In late January, Tolopilo started three straight times and allowed only four total goals across that run.
One performance should have produced a shutout. He stopped 32 shots in a 2-0 win, but a brief stint in the league’s concussion protocol forced a change in net, and the clean sheet ended up belonging to the team instead of the goalie.
He followed that with a memorable night against Toronto on January 31, making 39 saves in a 3-2 shootout loss. He also denied Auston Matthews on an overtime penalty shot, the kind of sequence that sticks with coaches and scouts.
The back half of the year was rougher, especially after a return to the AHL. Still, he finished strong by stopping 24 of 27 shots against Anaheim on April 12 and earning a win.
What Vancouver can realistically do
There are only a few practical paths forward, and none of them is especially simple.
- Keep all three goalies: possible, but awkward and costly in roster flexibility.
- Move Tolopilo: the cleanest solution if another team values his age, experience, and flashes of upside.
- Move a veteran instead: harder to pull off, but easier to justify if the club wants to align the crease with a longer timeline.
The biggest reason Tolopilo stays relevant is that his age fits a team looking forward. Demko and Lankinen are established names, but Tolopilo sits closer to the next wave than they do, which gives him a real chance to matter in a reworked structure.
His camp assignment is simple
Tolopilo does not need to win a popularity contest. He needs to make the organization uncomfortable about leaving him out.
That means sharp rebounds, fewer soft goals, and enough consistency to push his value upward. A strong camp could make Vancouver reconsider its veteran mix or make another team willing to pay more than a modest pick for his rights.
If the Canucks stay with a three-goalie setup, he still has one job: stay ready. He cannot afford a slow start or a quiet September.
What 2026-27 probably looks like
If Tolopilo remains in Vancouver, expect a rotation that gives him somewhere in the 30 to 35 start range, with production that depends heavily on the team’s defensive structure. A tighter system in front of him would help more than any dramatic change in his own game.
If he is traded, the workload could jump into the 40-plus range almost immediately, especially if the destination wants a true 1A/1B setup. That would be the clearest sign that his value has risen beyond depth status.
What should not happen is another AHL detour. He has outgrown that level as a holding pattern, and Vancouver will not want to risk losing him for nothing.
The bottom line
Tolopilo does not need to be the best goaltender in camp. He just needs to be the most useful one for Vancouver’s timeline. That may be enough to turn a crowded crease into a real decision.
Keep an eye on him in September. For a goalie in his position, opportunity and pressure arrive together.
