The Vancouver crease is crowded, and Nikita Tolopilo sits right in the middle of the problem. His path in 2026-27 depends less on hope than on how the organization sorts three NHL-caliber goalies into one job.
A Season That Kept Him Moving
Tolopilo’s 2025-26 campaign never settled into one clean rhythm. He split time between the AHL and NHL, changed levels often, and still found ways to stay in the conversation despite uneven results.
The stat line showed the strain. In the AHL, he posted a 3.07 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage. In the NHL, those numbers rose to a 3.61 goals-against average and an .881 save percentage. He also had 14 starts in which he allowed at least three goals, which made consistency the biggest issue in his profile.
Even so, the season was not a total loss. He showed enough flashes to remind Vancouver that there is something usable here if the right situation opens up.
The Stretch That Changed The Tone
Late January gave Tolopilo his best run. He opened a small window of momentum with three straight starts and allowed only four total goals across that stretch. The results were mixed, but the performances were good enough to keep him relevant.
One night stood out most. He stopped 32 shots in a 2-0 win and looked set to record his first NHL shutout, only for the result to be altered when he spent 2:11 in concussion protocol and Kevin Lankinen had to finish the game. It was the kind of detail that does not show up in a simple box score, but it mattered.
Then came Jan. 31 against Toronto, when he made 39 saves in a 3-2 shootout loss and even denied Auston Matthews on an overtime penalty shot. That was the sort of game that makes front offices pause.
The finish to the year was tougher, though not empty. After another stint in the AHL, he returned for good and played 11 games from March through April, starting eight. He managed one low-scoring start in that span, a 2-1 loss to Vegas on April 7, and closed the year with a win over Anaheim on April 12 after stopping 24 of 27 shots.
Why His Future Is Hard To Predict
There are only a few realistic outcomes here, and none of them are neat. Vancouver can keep Tolopilo, move him, or try to carry too many goalies for too long. Each option has a cost.
Trading him feels like the cleanest solution. He is 26, has NHL experience, and has already shown enough high-end moments to interest teams looking for goaltending depth. Vancouver also has limited room to keep three goalies on the roster without squeezing out help at another position.
Keeping all three is possible, but it is the least efficient answer. A three-goalie setup usually leaves someone cold, reduces game rhythm, and creates constant management headaches. It can work for a while, but it rarely works well for long.
The least likely choice is also the one that makes the most sense on paper: moving Thatcher Demko or Kevin Lankinen instead. That would only happen if the team decided Tolopilo’s age and timeline fit the future better than the veterans’ places in the present.
What Vancouver Needs To See In Camp
Training camp will not be about style points. It will be about whether Tolopilo can force the organization to make an uncomfortable decision. That means sharp rebounds, clean tracking through traffic, and enough calm under pressure to make every start look dependable.
A strong camp could raise his value enough to turn him into a meaningful trade piece. It could also push management toward a bigger shakeup if he clearly outperforms expectations. Either path would be better than simply becoming the odd man out.
If he stays with Vancouver, his job is straightforward: stay ready, stay visible, and make every appearance count. If the crease stays crowded, his margin for error will be tiny.
What 2026-27 Could Look Like
The projection depends on where he lands. If he remains in Vancouver, a rotation in the range of 30 to 35 starts is a reasonable expectation, with numbers that probably resemble last season unless the team tightens up defensively in front of him.
If he gets traded, the workload could jump to 40 or 45 starts, or even more if he lands with a team searching for a true partner in net. That would be the best case for his development and probably the clearest way for him to establish real value.
What should not happen is a return to the AHL as the main plan. Vancouver is unlikely to expose him to waivers, which means he will either be in the NHL with the Canucks or wearing another uniform somewhere else.
The Bottom Line
Tolopilo does not need to be Vancouver’s top goalie to matter. He only needs to be the one whose timeline matches the organization’s needs at the right moment.
That is what makes him worth watching. In a crowded crease, the most movable goalie is often the one with the most interesting future.
