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What does the Canucks’ recall of Nikita Tolopilo indicate about their goaltending plans?

Photo credit: © Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

By David Quadrelli

Nov 15, 2026, 13:08 ESTUpdated: Nov 15, 2026, 13:47 EST

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On Sunday morning, the Vancouver Canucks recalled goaltender Nikita Tolopilo from AHL Abbotsford. That means the Canucks will have three goaltenders on their roster — something we expected might happen once Thatcher Demko eventually returned from IR — for the first time this season.

Tolopilo’s recall comes just hours before the Canucks prepare to take on the Vegas Golden Knights. What might the move indicate about the club’s goaltending plans?

Contract

$850KCap hit

$850K2026-27 salary

2 yrs1 season remaining

2026-27Expires after

Canucks starter vs. Vegas, and Utah

The Canucks haven’t yet confirmed their starting goaltender for tonight’s game in Vegas, but we’d be shocked if it’s Tolopilo. Tolopilo started for the Abbotsford Canucks against the Ontario Reign on Saturday night, making 25 saves on 30 shots in what ended up being a 5-2 loss for the visitors. Asking him to play on back-to-back days would seem unreasonable, and asking him to make his first NHL start of the season against a strong Vegas side after playing last night would be even more unreasonable. So, assuming Leevi Meriläinen gets the start tonight, Monday night’s game in Utah seems to be the one where — if the Canucks have indeed decided Kevin Lankinen needs more time off before his next start — Tolopilo would make his season debut.

After the Sunday-Monday back-to-back games, the Canucks will take on the Seattle Kraken on Thursday to wrap up their road trip before welcoming the Minnesota Wild to Rogers Arena on Saturday.

Kevin Lankinen’s struggles to this point

To be clear, the Canucks still might decide that Lankinen gets one of the starts tonight or tomorrow, and that it’s Leevi Meriläinen who needs the break. Meriläinen’s numbers have no doubt slipped since the Canucks have started playing him as their clear-cut number one goaltender, so there’s certainly a chance that it’s he who gets the next two games off following Tolopilo’s recall.

But given how poorly this season has gone for Kevin Lankinen, those chances seem slim.

Through nine games played so far this season, Lankinen has a league-worst (among goalies with at least two games played) .808 save percentage and 6.03 goals against average. In his last start against the Anaheim Ducks on November 3rd, Lankinen made just 17 saves and gave up five goals in a 5-4 loss for the Canucks.

Having lost 16 of their last 17 games, the Canucks could certainly use a win for a morale boost, even if it’s a slight one that doesn’t matter all that much in the grand scheme of things.