The Vancouver Canucks’ goaltending depth got a bit thinner with the trade of Arturs Silovs to the Pittsburgh Penguins, but with the addition of Alexei Medvedev in the 2025 NHL Draft, they kind of broke even. Overall, even without the services of Silovs – who probably would have been claimed on waivers if he wasn’t traded – they still have a strong group of goalies to draw from heading into the 2025-26 season. With that said, let’s take a deep dive into the full pipeline.
Canucks Goaltending Depth
Thatcher Demko – Starter
Thatcher Demko will be the Canucks’ starter for the next four seasons, thanks to a three-year extension he signed at the beginning of July. His agent, Jordan Neumann, says Demko has fully recovered from the injuries he suffered last season and is not rehabbing anything in the offseason for the first time in a long time.
“He is 100 percent. I was out there visiting with him two weeks ago and he’s already begun skating as part of his off-season program, which he’s never really done this early. He feels great. He’s not restricted in any way.
It’s the first summer in a long time where he’s not doing any rehab of any kind. It gives him tremendous optimism and excitement moving forward, which is another reason why he was really comfortable doing a shorter term.”
That’s good news for the Canucks, because at his best, the 29-year-old is a Vezina-caliber goaltender capable of stealing games. His health is obviously still a concern, given the amount of time he’s missed over the last two seasons, but with the team signing Kevin Lankinen to back him up for the next four seasons as well, the coaching staff should be able to split the workload and keep him on the ice rather than the medical room.
Kevin Lankinen – Backup
Speaking of Lankinen, if not for him, the Canucks would have likely finished closer to the bottom of the NHL rather than a few wins from the playoff cutoff line. He was at times brilliant in the crease, especially early in the season when Demko was unavailable, recovering from the rare popliteus muscle injury. His best stretch came in November and early December when he strung together 10 straight wins on the road, establishing not just a franchise record, but an NHL record. As the season went on, he started to struggle with the weight of being a number-one goaltender, which was understandable considering he had never started more than 37 games in his career (by the end of the season, he had started a career-high 49 games and appeared in 51).
Still, Lankinen finished with a solid 25-15-10 record alongside a career-low 2.62 goals-against average (GAA), .902 save percentage (SV%) and four shutouts. He also represented Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off, but only got into two games and finished with a 4.83 GAA and .811 SV%. This season, assuming Demko stays healthy, his workload should fall back to the 25-30 range, although if the Canucks employ a 1A/1B platoon system (which they should), it could get up to 40.
Nikita Tolopilo – AHL Starter
With Silovs now a Penguin, Nikita Tolopilo becomes the de facto starter in Abbotsford. Last season, he split the duties in the crease with Silovs and appeared in a career-high 36 games, alongside a 2.66 GAA, .902 SV% and four shutouts. He finished with a 20-14-2 record in the American Hockey League (AHL) and made his NHL debut on April 14 against the San Jose Sharks, recording his first win. He also made a relief appearance in the next game against the Vegas Golden Knights, but unfortunately got tagged with the loss after allowing two goals on 10 shots.
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The 6-foot-6 Belarusian will be given the reins for the first time in his pro career and be the first call-up option if Demko or Lankinen go down with an injury this season. He was re-signed to a two-year contract at the beginning of July.
Jiri Patera – Depth
Jiri Patera is in the final year of a two-year contract he signed with the Canucks last summer, and will battle Ty Young for the backup spot behind Tolopilo. He only appeared in seven games last season after suffering a knee injury on Nov. 6 against the Ontario Reign, and never got back into the lineup even when he was healthy in April. He was decent in his starts before the injury, posting a 2.79 GAA and .899 SV%, and considering his experience in the AHL, he might have a bit of a leg up on Young heading into training camp.
Ty Young – Depth
After parts of three seasons in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Prince George Cougars, Young transitioned to the pro leagues last season, splitting his time between Kalamazoo and Abbotsford. He made his AHL debut on Feb. 19 against the San Diego Gulls and ended up staying in the Lower Mainland until March 29. He appeared in 11 games and posted an impressive 8-3-0 record alongside a 2.72 GAA and .904 SV%. The highlight of his time in the AHL came on March 12, when he made 41 saves in a 2-1 win over the Bakersfield Condors. He will be in tough to secure a spot in the AHL this season with Patera’s experience standing in his way, but given his strong performance during that stretch in February and March, he might surprise and push Patera down the depth chart.
Aku Koskenvuo – Depth
Aku Koskenvuo will be turning pro with either the Kalamazoo Wings or Abbotsford Canucks this season. He signed his entry-level contract in March after three seasons in the NCAA with Harvard University, and will most likely play in the ECHL in a tandem with Young. Selected 137th overall by the Canucks in 2021, the Espoo, Finland native had a decent collegiate career, finishing with a 2.91 GAA and .905 SV% alongside three shutouts. He was also named to the NCAA All-Ivy Academic Team and NCAA All-Ivy League Honorable Mention Team in his junior year in 2024-25.
Goaltending Prospects Playing Elsewhere
As of this writing, the Canucks only have one goaltender in their pipeline playing outside of the pro leagues, and that is recent 2025 Draft pick Alexei Medvedev.
Alexei Medvedev – London Knights – Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Selected in the second round (47th overall) of the 2025 Draft, Medvedev is now the Canucks’ top goaltending prospect. While Tolopilo and Koskenvuo may be higher on the depth chart right now, Medvedev has the higher ceiling and might end up being Demko’s heir apparent as the Canucks’ starting goaltender of the future. With Demko or Lankinen in the crease for the next five years, he has plenty of time to develop and could be ready to take the reins as soon as 2029-30. Lankinen will still be under contract, so he could conceivably be his veteran backup, that is, if Medvedev is deemed ready for the NHL by then.
As for this season, Medvedev will return to the London Knights after a strong 2024-25 campaign that saw him go 22-8-2 alongside a 2.79 GAA, .912 SV% and three shutouts. He is set to be the Knights’ starter with Austin Elliott graduating, so it will be interesting to see how he does with the full responsibility of the crease. Regardless, he will be one of the Canucks’ top goaltending prospects to watch this season, seeing that he’s the first goaltender drafted in the second round since Demko, who was selected 36th overall in 2014.
Canucks’ Goaltending Pipeline Is Strong
Even without Silovs in the fold, the Canucks’ goaltending pipeline still rivals some of the best in the league. From Demko and Lankinen forming an elite tandem up top to the second-round pedigree of Medvedev rounding out the group, the crease isn’t an area they will have to worry about for a long time.
