Tolopilo weighs KHL money against the NHL dream, as Canucks face a goaltending/waiver crunch

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Nikita Tolopilo says he was tempted by KHL offers while he was still building his NHL pathway, but he ultimately decided the extra money was not worth walking away from the job he believes he is close to owning in North America. In a reported discussion, Tolopilo described being offered between 35 and 40 million rubles to leave, while also pointing to the higher earning floor in the NHL compared with what a typical AHL contract can look like. He said the goal, even after seeing the financial difference more clearly, remained playing in the NHL on a full-time basis.

Tolopilo is not arriving at this decision as a fringe option. The Canucks signed him to a two-year, two-way contract that began with the 2025-26 season, a deal announced by the organization on July 8, 2025. That timeline puts the 2026-27 season as the final year of his current Vancouver agreement, even though his role could still swing between the NHL roster and the AHL depending on performance and waiver logistics.

On the ice, Tolopilo’s 2025-26 work with Vancouver helped define his value as a potential option when the organization needs netminding experience at the NHL pace. According to NHL statistical records, he appeared in 21 games in 2025-26 and finished with a 6-11-2 record. His volume of starts and regular-season minutes placed him squarely in the conversation for how the Canucks might manage their goaltending depth beyond simply carrying a backup.

Off the ice, the question is less about talent and more about access. Yahoo Sports reported that Tolopilo would need to clear waivers in order to play in the AHL during the final year of his contract, which would make it risky for the Canucks to demote him without the possibility of losing him to another team. Waiver eligibility assessments can be complex and sometimes disagree depending on the calculation source and timing, but PuckPedia lists Tolopilo as waiver-eligible, while The Hockey News previously framed his offseason situation as complicated in relation to waiver exposure and roster constraints.

The stakes are specific for Vancouver because goaltending depth is where waiver claims can turn into short-notice roster changes. If Tolopilo is exposed, the Canucks would have to decide whether to keep him on the NHL side, search for alternative roster construction, or risk a claim by another club. If he is not exposed, the organization still has to answer how it wants him developed and utilized, because two-way plans for goaltenders do not exist in a vacuum when the NHL backup spot can demand immediate readiness.

What Tolopilo said about the KHL, then, is more than a personal bargaining story. It is a clue about the kind of player the Canucks are hoping to keep. He suggested that the league was willing to pay to bring him back, but he chose not to take the easy exit because he believes the NHL should be the destination. As Vancouver approaches the 2026-27 offseason with its goaltending decisions, the next watch item is straightforward: whether Tolopilo’s role becomes more clearly defined in the NHL, or whether waiver rules force the Canucks into a more reactive, roster-moving strategy.