A couple of adjustments with the Vancouver Canucks‘ personnel between the pipes.

On Saturday, general manager Patrik Allvin announced that the team has called up goaltender Nikita Tolopilo from its American Hockey League affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, on an emergency basis. In a corresponding move, the Canucks have sent fellow netminder Jiri Patera down to Abbotsford.

The move comes in the lead-up to Vancouver’s matchup on Sunday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s not yet known if Tolopilo is being brought up to the big club simply to back up Kevin Lankinen or if the 25-year-old will be getting the call against Sidney Crosby and company. Lankinen has played each of the team’s past three games, going 1-2-0 over that span, giving up five goals on 24 shots against the New Jersey Devils on Friday night. The Abbotsford Canucks play both tonight and tomorrow, so it’s possible that the move is to allow Patera to start in Abbotsford tonight before returning to Vancouver to back up Kevin Lankinen tomorrow vs. Pittsburgh.

Tolopilo’s last start in the NHL didn’t quite go well. Last Saturday against the rival Edmonton Oilers, he allowed six goals and 35 shots in a 6-0 defeat. In six games with the Canucks thus far, he has a record of 2-3-0, with a 3.98 goals-against average and a .881 save percentage.

After being sent back down to Abbotsford, the Belarusian backstop played both games in a back-to-back against the Laval Rocket, the Montreal Canadiens’ top farm team, on Tuesday and Wednesday. After dropping the first game, Tolopilo was great in a 2-1 overtime, making 26 saves for his fifth win of the season. In 13 games with Abbotsford, he’s 5-5-3 with a 2.94 GAA and a .901 SV%.

Patera didn’t play at all in his recent call-up to Vancouver. His lone start during the 2025-26 campaign was back on Nov. 17, when he allowed seven goals in a loss to the Florida Panthers. In 16 games with Abbotsford, the Czech netminder is 7-6-2 with a 2.49 GAA, a .915 SV%.

Vancouver (17-29-5) holds the worst record in the NHL, 16 points back of the last Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Abbotsford (13-22-3-3) sits last in the AHL’s Pacific Division, nine points back of a playoff spot.