The Vancouver crease is crowded, and Nikita Tolopilo sits right in the middle of the pressure. His 2026-27 outlook depends less on raw talent than on whether the Canucks decide to keep, trade, or reshuffle one of their three NHL-caliber goalies.
A Season of Constant Movement
Tolopilo’s 2025-26 year was split between the AHL and the NHL, which made it hard for him to find a steady rhythm. He moved often, played often, and never really settled into one clear role.
The results were uneven, but the sample was large enough to say one thing clearly: the organization gave him a real look. That matters for an undrafted goaltender trying to stay in the conversation.
- AHL numbers: 3.07 goals-against average and .897 save percentage
- NHL numbers: 3.61 goals-against average and .881 save percentage
- Games with three or more goals allowed: 14
Those stats are not flattering, yet they do not tell the whole story. Tolopilo also had stretches where he looked sharp against strong opponents and gave Vancouver a chance to win.
The Best Stretch He Put Together
Late January brought his most interesting run. He started three straight games, allowed only four total goals, and showed enough poise to make the coaching staff take notice.
One outing should have been his first career shutout. He made 32 saves in a 2-0 win, but a stint in concussion protocol forced a goalie switch and took the shutout off his résumé.
He followed that with a strong performance against Toronto on Jan. 31, stopping 39 shots in a 3-2 shootout loss. He even denied Auston Matthews on a penalty shot in overtime, the kind of moment that can stick with a goaltender’s reputation.
The back half of the year was rougher. After another spell in the AHL, he returned to the Canucks and stayed with the club, finishing the season with 11 appearances from March through April and a late win over Anaheim.
Why Vancouver Has a Real Decision to Make
The Canucks cannot keep three goaltenders forever, and that is the heart of Tolopilo’s situation. Thatcher Demko, Kevin Lankinen, and Tolopilo all belong in the same conversation, but the roster only has room for so much patience.
The most plausible outcomes are easy to map out:
- He gets traded for value while his profile is still rising
- Vancouver keeps all three and deals with a messy rotation
- A veteran goalie moves instead, opening a lane for Tolopilo
The third option is the least likely on paper, but it is not impossible. Demko and Lankinen are established veterans, while Tolopilo is 26 and fits the longer view of the organization more naturally.
That age gap matters. If Vancouver wants a bridge into the next phase, Tolopilo is the goalie who lines up best with that timeline.
What Camp Must Prove
Training camp will not ask Tolopilo to be flashy. It will ask him to be consistent, composed, and impossible to ignore.
He needs to do one of two things:
- Force the club to consider a major move in goal
- Build enough value that another team sees him as more than depth
Either result helps him. Being stuck as the third option helps no one, especially not a goalie who needs game reps to keep improving.
If Vancouver somehow carries three goalies, his job stays the same: be ready for every assignment and stay sharp enough that the team cannot afford to forget him.
Most Likely 2026-27 Outcome
The cleanest projection is a trade, because that is where the market value is most useful. A team looking for a dependable 1A/1B partner would probably view him as a goalie worth giving real starts to.
If he remains in Vancouver, expect a split role and somewhere around 30 to 35 starts. If he is moved, the total could climb into the 40s, depending on his new team’s situation.
One thing seems certain: he is not headed back to the AHL as a long-term solution. Vancouver will either keep him in the NHL picture or move him somewhere that will.
Final Read
Tolopilo may not be the top goalie on the depth chart, but he might be the most useful piece in the organization’s larger plan. His timeline fits better than the veterans’ timelines, and his camp could quietly shape the Canucks’ future in net.
That is why he matters. In a crowded goalie room, the player with the most uncertainty often has the biggest use.