NHL Player News

Tolopilo is slated to compete for an Opening Night roster spot during training camp ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports Monday.

Tolopilo made a career-high 21 regular-season appearances with the Canucks last year, and he went 6-11-2 with a 3.61 GAA and .881 save percentage. It's not yet clear whether Thatcher Demko (hip) will be ready for the start of training camp this fall, while Kevin Lankinen was inconsistent over 47 regular-season appearances last year. As a result, the Canucks could benefit from beginning the 2026-27 season with three goaltenders on the NHL roster, but Tolopilo will likely need to prove that he's more reliable than other netminders who may become available on the waiver wire or via trade.

Willander appears likely to make the Canucks' Opening Night roster for the 2026-27 season, Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports Monday.

Willander will still need to make an impression during training camp in September as he pushes for a spot on the Opening Night roster, but Drance suggests that the blueliner's development would benefit most by playing at the NHL level. The 21-year-old Willander made 70 regular-season appearances last year in his first taste of NHL action, recording five goals, 16 assists, 78 blocked shots, 35 hits and 28 PIM while averaging 16:59 of ice time.

Mancini appears likely to make the Canucks' Opening Night roster for the 2026-27 campaign, Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports Monday.

Although training camp is still several weeks away, Mancini appears to have the inside track to a spot on the NHL roster after signing a two-year, one-way extension in March. The 24-year-old remains waiver exempt ahead of the 2026-27 season, so it's possible that he gets sent to the AHL if he struggles during camp, but even if he spends some time in the minors, it wouldn't be surprising to see him earn his fair share of playing time at the NHL level. Across 24 regular-season appearances with Vancouver last year, Mancini recorded no goals, three assists, 28 hits, 26 blocked shots and seven PIM while averaging 13:44 of ice time.

Raty will likely have opportunities to take on an expanded role during the 2026-27 season, Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports Monday.

Drance reports that there were times last season in which Raty wasn't in the good graces of former head coach Adam Foote, but the 23-year-old center should benefit from a fresh start under new bench boss Manny Malhotra. Across 66 regular-season appearances last year, Raty generated four goals, 10 assists, 165 hits, 22 PIM and 16 blocked shots while averaging 12:01 of ice time, and he should have plenty of chances to showcase his two-way prowess this season.

Ohgren is expected to have opportunities to showcase his two-way game in the 2026-27 campaign after he displayed some promise on the penalty kill last year, Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports Monday.

Ohgren made a career-high 69 regular-season appearances between the Wild and Canucks last year, posting eight goals, 10 assists, 69 hits and 41 blocked shots while averaging 13:10 of ice time. Most of that production came during his time with Vancouver (51 games), and the 22-year-old should have opportunities to build upon that momentum during the 2026-27 season, especially outside of even-strength situations.

O'Connor could be placed in more situations to showcase his abilities in 2026-27, Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports Monday.

O'Connor will be eligible for unrestricted free agency after the 2026-27 campaign, which could make him a potential trade candidate. His versatility and two-way game could be attractive to other teams, especially if he gets off to a strong start. O'Connor had 17 goals, 29 points, 136 shots on net and 77 hits across 82 games during the 2025-26 regular season.

Lankinen appears to be poised for more consistency during the 2026-27 season after a shaky performance last year, Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports Monday.

Lankinen made 47 regular-season appearances last year -- the second-highest mark of his career -- but went 11-27-5 with a career-worst 3.70 GAA and .875 save percentage. However, he was tending to some personal matters during the 2025-26 campaign, and with Thatcher Demko's (hip) status uncertain ahead of training camp this year, Lankinen could have the opportunity to emerge as part of a timeshare that would presumably allow him more time to rest and generate more consistent success. Lankinen has proven to be capable of performing well over a full season, as he went 25-15-10 with a 2.62 GAA and .902 save percentage across 51 regular-season appearances with Vancouver in the 2024-25 campaign.

Demko's (hip) status is uncertain for the start of training camp ahead of the 2026-27 season, Thomas Drance of The Athletic reports Monday.

Demko missed the final few months of the 2025-26 campaign after undergoing hip surgery, and with less than a month before the Canucks begin training camp, it's not yet clear whether the netminder will be healthy enough to take the ice. After making 51 regular-season appearances during the 2023-24 campaign, Demko was limited to a total of 43 games over the last two years combined as he dealt with injuries in each of those campaigns. Regardless of whether the 30-year-old has the green light for the start of training camp, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Canucks manage his workload this year in order to preserve his health over a full season.

Cootes will likely see more games in the NHL during the 2026-27 campaign, according to Thomas Drance of The Athletic on Monday.

Cootes appeared in three games with Vancouver last October after claiming an NHL roster spot out of training camp. He will be in the mix for an Opening Night position again ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, but he is also eligible to play in the AHL or return to the junior ranks. The Canucks selected Cootes with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.

Forsberg is a candidate to see increased playing time during the 2026-27 season if he can maintain his level of production from last year, Zach Dooley of the Kings' official site reports Monday.

Forsberg performed well during his first year in Los Angeles during the 2025-26 campaign, going 16-12-5 with a 2.57 GAA and .909 save percentage across 36 regular-season appearances. He saw an uptick in work late in the season and ultimately started in all four of the Kings' first-round playoff matchups against the Avalanche. Although Los Angeles was swept in that first-round series, Forsberg made a strong impression during a year in which teammate Darcy Kuemper displayed some inconsistency down the stretch. The two netminders will presumably compete for playing time during training camp this year, and it wouldn't be surprising to see some sort of timeshare take place early in the regular season. However, one of them could emerge with the bulk of the starts if they can put together some early-season momentum.