Canucks waive Nikita Tolopilo to reach NHL’s 23-man limit, with other waiver options next

The Story

The Vancouver Canucks announced Sunday they have waived goaltender Nikita Tolopilo, a move that formally brings the team down to the NHL’s 23-man roster limit. The waiver transaction also signals that Vancouver’s immediate goaltending situation is likely settled for opening night, with Tolopilo positioned behind established options on the depth chart.

Vancouver enters the season with Thatcher Demko, Kevin Lankinen and Leevi Meriläinen ahead of Tolopilo. Demko was noted as injured when Tolopilo was treated as the default NHL backup entering training camp, but the current ordering suggests the Canucks have preferred other backup arrangements rather than keeping Tolopilo on the active roster.

Meriläinen’s presence is particularly relevant to Tolopilo’s waiver decision. The Belarusian netminder’s chances in Vancouver were reduced after the Canucks selected Meriläinen off waivers last week, shifting the backup-goaltender competition and leaving less room for Tolopilo to remain within the league’s 23-player maximum.

Last season, Tolopilo saw action in 21 games with the Canucks, posting a 6-11-2 record with an .881 save percentage. That statistical output, combined with the Canucks’ existing goaltending depth, left the club with a narrower path to retaining him once the roster limit tightened.

With Tolopilo waived, the most immediate practical implication for Vancouver is that the Canucks’ backup goaltending is unlikely to be adjusted through a simple roster reshuffle, since a claim would require another club to pick up Tolopilo. If he is claimed, Vancouver would then regain a roster spot while also potentially opening the door for the Canucks to replace him elsewhere; if he clears waivers, it becomes an easier decision for the Canucks to proceed with their chosen 23-man group.

The waiver move also interacts with the Canucks’ broader roster planning. The club’s defensive and forward depth appears to be largely set at the opening-night level, with defenceman Guillaume Brisebois and forward Arshdeep Bains described as having made the Canucks’ opening-night roster. In that context, the Tolopilo waiver looks primarily aimed at satisfying the 23-man limit while maintaining the chosen lineup of skaters.

Although Vancouver has reached the roster cap, the Canucks’ work is not described as necessarily complete. The team retains the ability to adjust its roster using the waiver wire before the roster set-at-the-limit deadline later Monday afternoon, depending on what becomes available for claim.

The Canucks have “first dibs” on any players they want from the waiver list that went through Sunday. Several options across both forward and defence positions appear on the waiver board, including Laurent Brossoit (ANA), Henri Jokiharju (BOS), Jusso Valimaki (CAR), Vinnie Hinostroza (COL), Fabien Lysell (COL), Colin Blackwell (DAL), Nathan Bastian (FLA), John Beecher (FLA), Sam Lafferty (FLA), Alexander Petrovic (FLA), Cole Schwindt (FLA), Sasha Pastujov (MTL), Ilya Lyubushkin (NSH), Nick Perbix (NSH), Dylan Garand (NYR), Taylor Raddysh (NYR), Ville Heinola (VGK), and Alexander Holtz (VGK).

That collection includes not only defenders and forwards, but also a goaltender or two, which is why the waiver window could still create a consequential change to the Canucks’ roster planning even after Tolopilo’s departure. The possibility of claiming another netminder is especially relevant given the timing of the Canucks’ roster confirmation process.

Vancouver’s next step is scheduled for Monday morning. The club will find out, at 11 a.m. PCT, whether it has opted to claim any player from the Sunday waiver group. That decision point matters because Monday’s waiver-claim window is tied to keeping the roster within the NHL’s active limit while filling any remaining needs.

The Canucks’ final 23-man roster must then be set in stone later Monday at 2 p.m. PCT. Between the morning claim deadline and the afternoon finalization, Vancouver’s front office has a narrow window to decide whether the available waiver options—selected from the list that hit Sunday—are worth adding to the active roster or whether the current lineup should stand.

For Vancouver fans, the Tolopilo waiver is a clear indicator that the team has already prioritized its goaltending depth and the skaters it wants to begin the season with. At the same time, the upcoming claims deadline keeps open the possibility that Vancouver could make a last-minute adjustment if a player on the waiver list fits a specific need or creates an advantage before the opening-night roster is finalized.