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Tolopilo was placed on waivers by the Canucks on Sunday, per Thomas Drance of The Athletic.
Following Vancouver's claim of Leevi Merilainen off waivers earlier in the week, Tolopilo was bumped down the depth chart. The 26-year-old backstop split time between the majors and minors last season. With Vancouver, he struggled behind a lackluster defensive core, posting a 6-11-2 record, a 3.61 GAA and an .881 save percentage across 21 regular-season appearances. If he clears waivers over the next 24 hours, he's expected to serve as the organization's No. 3 netminder and the lead option for AHL Abbotsford.
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Canucks' Nikita Tolopilo: Works two periods in loss
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Tolopilo stopped 12 of 14 shots in Thursday's 2-1 preseason loss to the Oilers.
Tolopilo featured in the first two periods and did a mediocre job against a largely AHL-caliber squad. It's not great for Tolopilo that PTO camp attendee Chris Driedger came in and stopped all seven shots he faced in the third period, keeping the game close despite the loss. Tolopilo is not a lock to start the year as Kevin Lankinen's backup in the absence of Thatcher Demko (hip). The Canucks have one more preseason game, Saturday at home versus the Kraken, which could be telling in regards to which goalies break camp in the NHL.
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Canucks' Nikita Tolopilo: Starting against Edmonton
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Tolopilo will start Thursday's preseason game at home against the Oilers, Canucks play-by-play announcer Brendan Batchelor reports.
Tolopilo drew the start during Saturday's preseason opener and played the entire game despite allowing four goals on 30 shots. He'll tend the twine once again during the Canucks' penultimate preseason game, but head coach Manny Malhotra wouldn't commit to whether Tolopilo will play the full game against Edmonton.
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Canucks' Nikita Tolopilo: Gives up four goals in preseason loss
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Tolopilo turned aside 26 of 30 shots during Saturday's 4-2 preseason loss to the Kraken.
Tolopilo played the entire preseason opener and faced plenty of shots, but he didn't have an ideal showing. He allowed a pair of first-period goals before giving up two more in the final frame. Thatcher Demko (hip) isn't expected to be a full participant in training camp, which could give Tolopilo an opportunity to serve as Kevin Lankinen's backup to begin the 2026-27 regular season. Still, Chris Driedger will likely have a chance to compete for that role as well.
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Canucks' Nikita Tolopilo: Slated to start Saturday
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Tolopilo is expected to start on the road against Seattle for Saturday's preseason game, per Canucks play-by-play announcer Brendan Batchelor.
Tolopilo had a 6-11-2 record, 3.61 GAA and .881 save percentage in 21 regular-season outings with Vancouver in 2025-26. If Thatcher Demko (hip) isn't available for the season opener, then Tolopilo will probably start as Kevin Lankinen's understudy. However, Chris Driedger is also in the running for the backup gig after signing a professional tryout offer to attend Vancouver's training camp.
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Canucks' Nikita Tolopilo: Set to compete for roster spot
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Tolopilo is slated to compete for an Opening Night roster spot during training camp ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports Monday.
Tolopilo made a career-high 21 regular-season appearances with the Canucks last year, and he went 6-11-2 with a 3.61 GAA and .881 save percentage. It's not yet clear whether Thatcher Demko (hip) will be ready for the start of training camp this fall, while Kevin Lankinen was inconsistent over 47 regular-season appearances last year. As a result, the Canucks could benefit from beginning the 2026-27 season with three goaltenders on the NHL roster, but Tolopilo will likely need to prove that he's more reliable than other netminders who may become available on the waiver wire or via trade.
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Canucks' Nikita Tolopilo: Drawing start in Anaheim
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Tolopilo will occupy the road crease Sunday against the Ducks, according to Dan Murphy of Sportsnet.
Tolopilo will play for the fifth time in the Canucks' last six games, as Kevin Lankinen got the start in the first half of the team's back-to-back Saturday in San Jose. Tolopilo hasn't registered a win since March 12 against Nashville, and he'll have an uphill battle Sunday against an Anaheim club that is battling for playoff positioning in the Pacific Division. The Ducks snapped their six-game losing streak against the Sharks on Thursday, and they should have the rest advantage against a Canucks team that went to a shootout Saturday.
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Canucks' Nikita Tolopilo: Collects overtime win
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Tolopilo stopped 24 of 27 shots in Sunday's 4-3 overtime win over the Ducks.
Tolopilo ended a six-game losing streak with this performance. The 26-year-old still had some trouble against the Ducks' top forwards, with Cutter Gauthier scoring twice and Leo Carlsson adding the other goal. Tolopilo is now up to 6-11-2 with a 3.61 GAA and an .881 save percentage across 21 appearances this season. The Canucks have two games left on the schedule -- Tuesday at home versus the Kings and Thursday in Edmonton. Despite the win Sunday, Tolopilo is nothing more than a desperation option for fantasy managers in those last two games, should he get the start in either game.
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Canucks' Nikita Tolopilo: Yields four goals in loss
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Tolopilo allowed four goals on 26 shots in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Kings.
The Kings held a 2-1 lead after the first period and never let the Canucks back in. Tolopilo continues to have a thankless job as the Canucks' starter in the absence of Kevin Lankinen (upper body). This was Tolopilo's sixth straight loss, and it's the fifth time in that span he's allowed at least four goals. He's at a 5-11-2 record with a 3.66 GAA and an .881 save percentage over 20 appearances. Tolopilo and Jiri Patera are likely to split the next two games, as the Canucks visit the Sharks on Saturday and the Ducks on Sunday.
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Canucks' Nikita Tolopilo: Slated to start Thursday
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Tolopilo is slated to start on the road against the Kings on Thursday, per Dan Murphy of Sportsnet.
Tolopilo is 0-5-0 with a 4.87 GAA and an .844 save percentage across his past five appearances. That's dropped him to 5-10-2 with a 3.63 GAA and an .883 save percentage in 19 outings this season. The Kings have won four of their past six (4-1-1), including a 4-0 victory over Vancouver on March 6 -- though Kevin Lankinen (upper body) got the assignment for that game.
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Canucks' Nikita Tolopilo: Decent in loss
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Tolopilo stopped 26 of 28 shots in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Golden Knights.
Tolopilo took his fifth straight loss, but this was easily his best performance during the skid. However, he got beaten by Golden Knights' depth players, Brayden McNabb and Cole Smith, in the defeat. Tolopilo is down to 5-10-2 with a 3.63 GAA and an .883 save percentage over 19 appearances this season. Kevin Lankinen (upper body) is currently unavailable, and if he's shut down for the year, Tolopilo should see the majority of the remaining starts for the Canucks. Their next game is Thursday in Los Angeles, the first of three contests in four days.
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Canucks' Nikita Tolopilo: Playing in third straight game
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Tolopilo will guard the home goal against the Golden Knights on Tuesday, per Canucks Insider.
Tolopilo has been lit up in each of his last four starts, allowing at least four goals during his four-game losing streak. The Belarusian netminder is 5-9-2 with a 3.73 GAA and an .880 save percentage over 18 outings in 2025-26. Tolopilo will face a Vegas squad that has won each of its first three games under new bench boss John Tortorella, including a win against the Canucks on March 30.
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Canucks' Nikita Tolopilo: Suffers fourth straight loss
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Tolopilo stopped 17 of 23 shots in Saturday's 7-4 loss to the Mammoth.
Tolopilo got another start due to the absence of Kevin Lankinen (illness), but he struggled between the pipes once again. The 25-year-old has been far from reliable in most fantasy formats and has allowed three or more goals in six games in a row while allowing at least four goals in the last four. Tolopilo has posted a 5.69 GAA and an .819 save percentage during an ongoing four-game losing streak.
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Canucks' Nikita Tolopilo: Saturday starter
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Tolopilo will start between the pipes in Saturday's home game against the Mammoth, Tyson Cole of CanucksArmy.com reports.
Tolopilo will make his second straight start after he allowed four goals on 38 shots in a 5-2 loss against the Wild on Thursday. On the season, he is 5-8-2 with a 3.57 GAA and an .887 save percentage. The 25-year-old also brings a streak of five straight games allowing three or more goals into Saturday's contest. He'll look to halt that against the Mammoth, winners of two straight games with 12 goals scored in those outings.
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Canucks' Nikita Tolopilo: Allows four goals in loss
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Tolopilo turned aside 34 of 38 shots on goal in Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Wild.
Tolopilo was fighting an uphill battle Thursday, as he did well to dispel 34 shots against Minnesota's high-powered offense. With Thursday's loss, the 25-year-old netminder now holds a 5-8-2 record, a 3.57 GAA and an .887 save percentage across 17 outings this season. He's unlikely to take more than a handful of starts away from Kevin Lankinen down the stretch of the regular season, limiting Tolopilo's fantasy value for the remainder of the campaign. On the bright side, he has made more than 30 saves in six of his appearances this season, which is a strong building point for the young netminder following the end of his rookie season.
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Canucks' Nikita Tolopilo: Slated to face Minnesota
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Tolopilo is slated to start on the road against Minnesota on Thursday, per NHL.com.
Tolopilo struggled in March, going 2-4-0 with a 4.46 GAA and an .835 save percentage across six outings. He has a 5-7-2 record, 3.53 GAA and .886 save percentage across 16 appearances in 2025-26. While he's left plenty to be desired this campaign, he did stop 28 of 30 shots (.933 save percentage) en route to a 4-2 home win over Minnesota on Dec. 6. The Wild rank 12th in the league with 3.22 goals per game this season.
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Canucks' Nikita Tolopilo: Poor showing in rare start
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Tolopilo stopped seven of 11 shots in Saturday's 7-3 loss to the Flames.
Tolopilo got the start but was pulled 4:36 into the second period after Olli Maatta scored to put the Flames ahead 4-1. The Canucks weren't able to bail out Tolopilo, who ended up with the loss in his first game action in two weeks. He's now at 5-7-2 with a 3.53 GAA and an .886 save percentage over 16 appearances this season. Kevin Lankinen hasn't played that well either, and he gave up three goals on 12 shots in relief Saturday. Bottom line, the Canucks' goaltending is a unit to avoid at all costs in fantasy, especially with a gauntlet of a three-game road trip coming up. That trip kicks off Monday in Vegas.
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Canucks' Nikita Tolopilo: Slated to start Saturday
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Tolopilo is expected to start on the road against Calgary on Saturday, per Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960 The Fan.
Tolopilo has a 5-6-2 record, 3.34 GAA and .892 save percentage in 15 outings in 2025-26. His last start came March 14 when he stopped 28 of 33 shots en route to a 5-2 loss to Seattle. Calgary has a subpar 30-34-8 record, but it has secured at least one point in five straight games (4-0-1).
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Canucks' Nikita Tolopilo: Surrenders five goals
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Tolopilo stopped 28 of 33 shots in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Kraken.
Tolopilo had won his last two outings, but the Kraken were too much for him to handle. The 25-year-old netminder is down to 5-6-2 with a 3.34 GAA and an .892 save percentage over 15 appearances this season. He continues to battle with Kevin Lankinen for playing time, though the Canucks will likely have their eyes on the draft lottery given how far adrift they are in the standings. The Canucks host the Panthers on Tuesday and the Lightning on Thursday, so Tolopilo is best avoided in weekly fantasy formats.
Tolopilo will protect the home net against Seattle on Saturday, Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 650 reports.
Tolopilo is coming off a 16-save performance in Thursday's 4-3 shootout win over Nashville. He has won his last two outings while making 36 saves on 42 shots. Tolopilo has a 5-5-2 record with a 3.21 GAA and an .896 save percentage in 14 NHL appearances this season. Seattle ranks 26th in the league with 2.80 goals per game in the 2025-26 campaign.
