Canucks Crease Shuffle After the Olympic Break
Vancouver heads into the second half of the season dealing with some goalie juggling after the Olympic break. Kevin Lankinen is still returning from Finland, Nikita Tolopilo was recalled from Abbotsford, and Aku Koskenvuo got a short NHL taste before heading back to the AHL. It’s a small shuffle, but with the schedule picking up, every crease decision matters.
Lankinen Still in Transit, Canucks Juggle the Short-Term Plan.
Kevin Lankinen won’t be available against the Winnipeg Jets, which isn’t exactly shocking given he’s still working his way back from Milan after the Olympics. The timing just didn’t line up, and the team wasn’t going to push him into a rushed travel-to-game situation. Vancouver’s hoping he settles in quickly because Saturday in Seattle is already circled as the likely spot for his return.
In the meantime, the crease becomes a bit of a guessing game. With Jiri Patera around and Nikita Tolopilo recalled, the Canucks have options, but no obvious pick. Lankinen’s absence isn’t long-term, but it does create a little turbulence during a week where Vancouver probably hoped things would be calmer coming out of the Olympic break.
Tolopilo Back in Vancouver and Ready for Spot Duty.
Nikita Tolopilo was pulled up from Abbotsford under emergency conditions, and for now, he’s the next man up. He’s been solid in his NHL looks — a 3-3-1 record with a .910 save percentage is perfectly respectable for someone bouncing between leagues. He’s big, structured, and calm, which makes him an easy plug-in when the team needs a steady presence.
The real question is whether he gets the actual start against Winnipeg or simply backs up while Patera takes the crease. Either way, the Canucks trust him enough to put him back in the rotation when things get messy. He’s earned that. And in a week where travel, lineup shuffling, and Olympic hangovers are in play, having Tolopilo available is a real stabilizer.
Koskenvuo Heads Back to Abbotsford After Olympic Break Cameo.
Aku Koskenvuo’s quick recall during the Olympic break was more about reps and practice time than anything else, and now he’s back in Abbotsford. The numbers haven’t been great this season — a .895 save percentage and a 3.20 GAA — but he’s also still very much in the development stage. Vancouver just wanted him around the NHL group for a bit before the schedule ramps back up.
Now he returns to the AHL, where the workload should help him settle into a rhythm again. Koskenvuo isn’t in the immediate mix for NHL minutes, but he remains part of the longer-term picture, and this little stint was another small step in showing the organization that he can handle the environment.