Vancouver’s goaltending picture is already crowded, and Ryan Johnson didn’t exactly hide that the Canucks are preparing to make a tough call.
Speaking Friday after practice, the Vancouver Canucks general manager addressed a situation that now includes Thatcher Demko, Kevin Lankinen, Nikita Tolopilo and Leevi Meriläinen on the NHL roster. Because all four would need waivers to go down to the AHL, the club is staring at the real possibility of losing one - or even two - for nothing during the 2026-27 season.
The first domino is Demko. At this point in the year, there still isn’t any clarity on when the 30-year-old will be back. What is known is that Demko will begin the season on some form of injured reserve, which means he won’t count against the 23-man roster.
That leaves Vancouver to sort through the other three goalies, and Johnson made it clear the team has not been planning on carrying three of them on the NHL roster.
"It's not something that I've intended to do, kind of all summer," said Johnson. "Obviously, we'll get through tomorrow night.
Three goaltender system, from my experience, at any level is is complicated for everybody and more so the the goalies themselves. But like I said, we've got to just take it a step at a time here.
Get through tomorrow night's game and make some decisions on Sunday."
With Meriläinen having just been claimed, Tolopilo looks like the most obvious candidate to become the odd man out if Vancouver decides to keep only two goalies on the NHL roster. That would put the 26-year-old in waiver territory, and there’s obvious risk in exposing him.
Tolopilo struggled in 2025-26, but he has shown well in the AHL since arriving in North America three years ago. The Canucks will have to weigh that track record against the possibility that another team takes him for free.
However Vancouver handles it, the pressure point is obvious: the organization has more NHL-caliber goaltenders than roster spots, and that can turn into a problem fast when waivers are part of the equation. Whether the decision comes this week or later, Johnson and his staff are going to have to make a move that could cost them a player.
In Other News...
Canucks Just Sent A Clear Message About Braeden Cootes
The Canucks made another round of roster cuts ahead of the NHL deadline, assigning Braeden Cootes and Matthew Stienburg to Abbotsford as they continue trimming down to the required 23-man limit. For Cootes, the move is especially notable because the 19-year-old rookie is now eligible for the AHL under a new NHL rule that allows players his age to go there instead of being forced back into junior hockey.
Stienburg cleared waivers before heading to the Abbotsford Canucks, giving Vancouver a little more clarity as it sorts through a crowded depth chart. With 14 forwards, eight defensemen and four goaltenders still on the roster, the Canucks are getting closer to the deadline picture, and the decision on Cootes reads like a clear sign the organization wants him developing in a league where he can keep playing meaningful games. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Just Put New Pressure On Their Goalie Battle
The Canucks added another name to their crease mix by claiming Leevi Merilinen off waivers from the Senators, a move that fits the reality of where Vancouver is right now. With Thatcher Demko still recovering from surgery, the club has been looking for ways to steady its goaltending depth, and Merilinen arrives with both NHL and AHL experience at age 24.
Vancouvers position at the top of the waiver order may not be done mattering, either, since the club still has room to keep reshaping the roster if it sees a fit. For Merilinen, the opportunity is immediate and practical, because a goalie room dealing with uncertainty tends to create openings quickly, and the Canucks have just made their battle a little more interesting. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Goalie Picture Just Got More Complicated Than Expected
The Canucks have added another layer to their goaltending plan by claiming Leevi Merilainen off waivers from the Ottawa Senators, a move that comes as Vancouver continues working through injuries at the position. Merilainen, who signed a one-year deal with Ottawa earlier this summer, arrives with a chance to step into a more meaningful role than he had with the Senators.
For a team that has already spent too much time piecing together its crease, the addition is less about depth in the abstract and more about finding a goalie who can be trusted to handle real minutes. Merilainen is now in the picture for Vancouver, and with an arbitration-eligible restricted free agency decision waiting next July, his time with the Canucks could quickly become one of the more interesting subplots around the roster. [Read more 🡒]