Ryan Johnson Gives Hint Into What The Canucks' Goaltending Plan May Look Like This Year

The Vancouver Canucks are in a complicated situation with their goaltenders. As of writing, Vancouver has four goalies on the NHL roster in Thatcher Demko, Kevin Lankinen, Nikita Tolopilo and Leevi Meriläinen. With all needing waivers to be sent to the AHL, the Canucks could lose one or even two for free during the 2026-27 season. 

The first piece of the puzzle Vancouver needs to sort out is the Demko timeline. At this stage of the year, there is no clarity on when the 30-year-old will return. All that is known right now is that Demko will be placed on some form of IR to start the season, meaning he will not count toward the 23-man roster. 

Shifting to the other three goaltenders, it appears a decision will soon be made on whether someone will be exposed to waivers. Given that the Canucks just claimed Meriläinen, it appears that Tolopilo would be the odd-man out if Vancouver elects to keep just two goalies on the NHL roster. When asked about keeping three goaltenders on the NHL roster, GM Ryan Johnson had this to say. 

"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."

The big question Johnson and his staff have to ponder is whether they'll lose Tolopilo on waivers. The 26-year-old struggled in 2025-26, but has shown well in the AHL since arriving in North America three years ago. Like with every player, there is risk in placing Tolopilo on waivers, but it may be an unavoidable decision the Canucks have to make. 

How Vancouver manages its goaltenders this year will be worth watching. Whether it is this week or when Demko eventually returns, Johnson and his staff will have to make tough decisions that could result in a player being lost on waivers. While having multiple NHL-level goaltenders in the organization is a positive, it can create problems, especially when all need to pass through waivers. 

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