Canucks Could Make Move To Fix Crowded Goaltending Situation
Vancouver enters 2026-27 with three capable NHL goaltenders on the roster: Thatcher Demko, Kevin Lankinen, and Nikita Tolopilo.
Per The Hockey Writers, the question that will define camp is whether the Canucks keep all three or settle into a traditional 1A/1B tandem, and that decision "will likely be answered over the course of training camp and the preseason, depending on Demko's health and what general manager Ryan Johnson and head coach Manny Malhotra feel is the best way forward for the rebuild."
This Isn't A Simple Fix
Tolopilo needs to clear waivers to be sent down to the AHL's Abbotsford affiliate, and given his performance last season, he likely wouldn't clear.
There's still a lot of uncertainty around Thatcher Demko's status ahead of training camp. Kevin Woodley says the team believes his offseason hip surgery could solve most of his issues, but there shouldn't be any rush to get him back.
— Daily Faceoff Vancouver (@dfovancouver) August 19, 2026
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Vancouver has already lived through this exact scenario. The Canucks dealt with the same three-goalie logjam a year ago and resolved it by trading Arturs Silovs to the Pittsburgh Penguins rather than risk losing him for nothing on waivers.
Johnson may be staring down an identical choice with Tolopilo this time around.
Case For Keeping All Three
Keeping the full trio makes sense given Demko's extensive injury history.
Demko has historically broken down after roughly seven starts in a given stretch, and even in a best-case healthy scenario, Vancouver would need to manage his workload carefully.
Heavy went further, arguing the Canucks should lean into carrying three goalies rather than treat it as a temporary inconvenience. "Just because they're rebuilding it doesn't mean the team should throw a Zamboni driver out there if and when Demko goes down," the outlet wrote, noting that if Vancouver lost Tolopilo on waivers and Demko got hurt again, the next options on the depth chart are unproven AHL goaltenders Ty Young and Aku Koskenvuo.
The 26-year-old undrafted Belarusian is no longer just an afterthought. He was pushed into a larger backup role during the 2025-26 season, playing 21 NHL games while Lankinen struggled through inconsistent form and some personal matters that briefly pulled him away from the team last November.
That's a 37-save performance for Nikita Tolopilo 👏 pic.twitter.com/CKmlhRhGVJ
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 27, 2025
By multiple accounts, Tolopilo actually outplayed Lankinen at points last season.
Tolopilo's path forward really comes down to three options: get traded, which is viewed as the most likely outcome, stick around as part of an unusual three-goalie rotation, or force Vancouver into moving one of its more established veterans instead.
His $850,000 contract expires at the end of this season, adding some urgency to figuring out his long-term fit before he becomes a bigger asset or a bigger question mark.
Demko has said he believes he's finally found the answer to the hip issues that have plagued him, telling reporters at his year-end availability, "The last two years, I was playing with zero degree of internal rotation in the hip."
If that holds up physically, Vancouver's decision gets easier. If it doesn't, the Canucks may find themselves right back where they were a year ago, forced to trade a capable young goaltender simply because the roster math doesn't leave room for three.
