The Vancouver crease is crowded enough to create a real roster decision, and Nikita Tolopilo sits right at the center of it. After a year that included meaningful NHL work, uneven results, and enough flashes to keep attention on him, his next step will say a lot about how the Canucks want to shape their future in goal.
A Season That Kept Changing Shape
Tolopilo’s 2025-26 campaign never settled into a simple rhythm. He moved between the AHL and NHL, picked up valuable experience, and spent much of the year proving that he could survive the daily pressure of being the next man up. The raw numbers were not flattering, but they also did not tell the whole story. In the AHL, he posted a 3.07 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage. In the NHL, those marks dipped to a 3.61 goals-against average and an .881 save percentage. He also had 14 starts in which he allowed three or more goals, a reminder that consistency still has to catch up to his tools.
Even so, his season contained enough strong moments to keep him in the conversation. He was not simply surviving appearances; he was occasionally stealing the spotlight from stronger teams and higher-profile opponents. That matters for a goaltender trying to establish a place in an organization that already has a crowded depth chart.
| Setting | Games | Goals-Against Average | Save Percentage | Notable Takeaway |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AHL | 19 | 3.07 | .897 | Serviceable but uneven |
| NHL | 21 | 3.61 | .881 | Tested against tougher competition |
| High-scoring outings | 14 | 3+ goals allowed | — | Shows the volatility in his year |
The Games That Changed the Conversation
Two outings in late January were especially important because they showed what Tolopilo can look like when he is locked in. In one game, he stopped 32 shots in a 2-0 victory and looked headed toward his first NHL shutout before a concussion-protocol interruption forced a switch. The result remained a team shutout, but the performance still stood out as one of his clearest statements of the year.
Then came the Jan. 31 game against Toronto, when he turned away 39 shots in a 3-2 shootout loss and even denied Auston Matthews on a penalty shot in overtime. That kind of sequence can reshape a goalie’s reputation fast, because it shows both poise and high-end response under pressure. Those moments did not erase the rougher nights, but they did prove that Tolopilo can rise to a difficult challenge when the game is tight.
The second half of the season was more demanding. After another stretch in the AHL, he returned to the NHL and finished the year with steady usage from March into April. He started eight of his final 11 appearances, and while most of those games still included too many goals against, he ended on a positive note by stopping 24 of 27 shots in a win over Anaheim on April 12. For a young goalie trying to carve out trust, that kind of finish matters.
What Vancouver Has to Decide Next
The Canucks now face a classic roster problem: too many goalies, too few netminder slots, and not enough margin for indecision. Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen already occupy the veteran side of the discussion, which leaves Tolopilo as the movable piece with the clearest intersection of age, upside, and trade value. At 26, he fits a team that is trying to balance present stability with future planning, and he does not have the developmental runway of a prospect who needs years of patience.
That age profile is part of why a move feels realistic. A goalie who has already handled 21 NHL games and produced a few legitimately memorable stretches can attract interest, especially from teams looking for a capable partner rather than a pure backup. Vancouver also has to think about asset management. Keeping three NHL-caliber goalies is possible, but it is rarely efficient, and it can complicate the rest of the roster.
The cleanest path may be a trade, but the organization could still choose to keep all three if camp and early-season form make the decision harder. In that scenario, Tolopilo would need to stay prepared for irregular starts, protect his confidence, and avoid fading into the background. For a goalie in his position, visibility is part of the job.
What 2026-27 Could Look Like
If Tolopilo opens the year in Vancouver, the most reasonable expectation is a partial rotation that lands somewhere around 30 to 35 starts. That would not be a glamorous workload, but it would keep him in the picture and give the club a chance to evaluate whether his stronger performances can become more routine. A more structured defensive system in front of him would probably help as much as any technical tweak.
If he is traded, the ceiling for his workload rises quickly. A club looking for a 1A/1B setup would likely give him a far heavier share of the starts, perhaps 40 or more depending on the market and the partner he joins. That kind of opportunity would not be a consolation prize. It would be a chance to become a real part of someone else’s plan.
One outcome is not realistic: a waiver trip that sends him back to the AHL as a comfortable fallback. Vancouver has little reason to expose him for free after the year he just had. The next move is almost certainly one of two options: NHL duty in Vancouver or a fresh start somewhere else.
The Bottom Line on His Future
Tolopilo does not need to be the best goalie in the room to matter. He only needs to be the one whose timeline, value, and remaining upside make the most sense for the organization’s direction. That is why his name keeps surfacing in any serious discussion about the Canucks’ crease. He may not be the headline starter, but he could still become the piece that clears the path for the next phase of Vancouver’s plan.
September will be worth watching. In a crowded goalie battle, the player with the most to lose is often the one who reveals the most about the team’s future.
