Is Thin Canucks’ Goalie Pipeline in October a Hidden Strength?

If you go back to the start of the season, the Vancouver Canucks’ goalie depth looked shaky. Thatcher Demko was the Vezina-calibre starter. But he’s got to play to be effective. Sadly for the Canucks, his health has been spotty. In fact, his injury status has helped fuel the Canucks’ slide this season. In my books, they’re better than their win-loss record suggests.

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Behind Demko, it was even messier. Last offseason, Artūrs Šilovs had run out of waiver options, which backed the Canucks into a corner. Eventually, he was moved to Pittsburgh rather than lose him for nothing on waivers. That felt like a blow at the time because most Canucks’ fans believed he was the future.

Suddenly, with Šilovs somewhere else, what looked like a promising pipeline was down to Demko, a veteran backup in Kevin Lankinen, and a young Belarusian kid in Abbotsford named Nikita Tolopilo. And, if I’m telling the truth, I knew absolutely nothing about Tolopilo.

While the Canucks’ Record Has Slid, There’s Some Good News

Funny how quickly things can change.

Lankinen, to his credit, has done what good backups do—he battles. He keeps the team in games they probably shouldn’t be in. But he’s been overworked. With Demko out, Lankinen has been leaned on like a starter, and that’s not his job. When the team ran out of gas in front of him (as I watched them do against the Red Wings), he did too. And that’s the creeping fear. “Here we go again, the Canucks and their goalie circus.”

And then, out of nowhere, Tolopilo walks in as easily as changing a diaper. (He and his wife had their first child – a daughter – last week.)

Tolopilo Has Been Giving His Team a Chance to Win

Take Monday night. The Red Wings had already packed the game away long before he got the tap on the shoulder. That’s the worst kind of situation for a young goalie—cold legs, cold brain, no rhythm, no warm-up, and tons of pressure. Most guys fight the puck, overplay everything, and look like they’re trying to survive ten minutes at a time.

Tolopilo didn’t blink. He stopped all six shots he faced. The only goal that period was an empty-netter. More than that, he didn’t look rattled. Not once. Four games in, 92 saves on 101 shots, and somehow he’s sitting on a .911 save percentage behind a team that’s been giving up point-blank chances like they’re hosting a neighbourhood open house. Those aren’t bad numbers for a young goalie thrown into NHL chaos.

Here’s the thing people sometimes forget: development isn’t just about winning games or stealing jobs. It’s about showing your organization that, when thrown into the deep end, you can tread water. Tolopilo did that. Quietly, professionally, without a fuss.

When Demko Comes Back, Tolopilo Moves Down to the AHL

When Demko returns, Tolopilo heads back to Abbotsford. That’s fine. But there’s good news now because the Canucks know something they didn’t know three months ago. They’ve got a young goalie who can play. And, he’s good enough to make a difference right now.

Suddenly, that goalie pipeline that looked like a cracked hose in October? It’s starting to look like a real system again. Demko is the elite starter. Lankinen is the steady veteran. Tolopilo is the emerging youngster with size, calmness, and a “just let me stop pucks” attitude.

If the Canucks can ever get all three goalies healthy at the same time, this could become one of the strongest trios in the league.

Related: Insider Hints That Chris Tanev’s Season & Career Are in Trouble