Nikita Tolopilo has cleared NHL waivers and will report to the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks.

The Vancouver Canucks placed Tolopilo on NHL waivers on Sunday, September 27th, the final day for teams to do so.  The deadline for NHL teams to submit their rosters is set for 2 PM Pacific Time on Monday, which made Sunday a busy day for the NHL waiver wire, with a whopping 71 players on waivers, according to Puck Pedia.

The Canucks’ claim of goaltender Leevi Meriläinen off waivers from the Ottawa Senators on Friday marked the beginning of the end for Tolopilo’s chances of opening the season on the Canucks’ NHL roster. It’s anticipated that the Canucks will place Thatcher Demko on injured reserve and open the season with Kevin Lankinen and Meriläinen as the two goaltenders on their NHL roster later today.

Tolopilo, 26, has appeared in 90 games for the AHL Abbotsford Canucks and 23 NHL games with Vancouver since signing as an overseas free agent in 2023. 23 of those 21 NHL games came last season, when the Canucks needed Tolopilo to help withstand the loss of Thatcher Demko to multiple injuries after trading away Arturs Silovs to the Pittsburgh Penguins ahead of the 2025-26 season. Through his 21 games last season, Tolopilo put up an .881 save percentage to go along with a 3.61 goals-against average.

By claiming Meriläinen, the Canucks felt like they got a younger low-risk upgrade on Tolopilo, with the potential for it to pay off in a big way thanks to Meriläinen’s past track record and draft positioning. The Senators selected him in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft, and he split his time between the AHL and NHL last season. While he struggled in his 20 games last season with a 3.51 goals-against average and an .860 save percentage, he’s just two years removed from a 12-game stint in which he had a 1.99 goals against average, a .925 save percentage, and an 8-3-1 record, with three shutouts.

The Canucks are hoping they can unlock that version of Meriläinen, and there is reason to believe they can. In the meantime, though, Tolopilo is on the outside looking in, and will look to build up his game in the AHL to start this season.