Canucks Reassign Aku Koskenvuo, Recall Nikita Tolopilo
The Canucks announced Monday that they’ve reassigned goaltender Aku Koskenvuo to AHL Abbotsford and recalled fellow netminder Nikita Tolopilo in his place. They continue to carry three goaltenders on the active roster, with Kevin Lankinen still working his way back into the mix after representing Finland at the Winter Olympics.
Koskenvuo, 22, wraps up a brief look in practice amid his first professional season. A fifth-round pick in 2021, he played three years at Harvard before signing his entry-level contract with Vancouver last March.
He’s spent the year bouncing between Abbotsford and ECHL Kalamazoo, receiving relatively equal workload in both leagues, although he’s been rostered with Abbotsford since mid-January thanks to the organizational ripple effect of Thatcher Demko‘s season-ending hip surgery. He hasn’t jumped off the page at either level. He has a 3.20 GAA, .895 SV%, and one shutout with a 2-5-0 record in nine appearances with Abbotsford, and a .898 SV% and 2-4-0 record in six games with Kalamazoo.
Tolopilo, 25, continues to jockey for position with Jiří Patera to serve as the third goalie on the depth chart behind Demko and Lankinen, a spot that will earn someone the backup job for the stretch run due to Demko’s absence. Tolopilo’s numbers lag behind Patera’s in the AHL, but the Belarusian has been the far superior option when given NHL spot starts this season.
In seven starts and nine appearances, he’s put up a 3-3-1 record with a .910 SV% and 3.04 GAA – excellent numbers, especially considering the porous defense Vancouver’s exhibited this year. He leads Canucks netminders with 3.5 goals saved above expected this season, per MoneyPuck. It wouldn’t be all too surprising to see the 6’6″ netminder usurp Patera quickly if given the chance and help relieve Lankinen’s workload down the stretch.
Canucks Recall Aku Koskenvuo
With several teams summoning players from their AHL affiliates today to practice during remainder of the Olympics, the Vancouver Canucks got in on the action, announcing that goaltender Aku Koskenvuo has been recalled under emergency conditions. The 22-year-old will practice with the team while Kevin Lankinen remains with Team Finland, representing both his and Koskenvuo’s home country.
Chosen in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, Koskenvuo developed at Harvard prior to turning pro in 2025-26. So far this year he’s played nine games for Abbotsford of the AHL, also making six appearances in the ECHL with the Kalamazoo Wings, indicative that the 22-year-old is at least fifth on the goaltending depth chart for now. The 6’4″ left catcher has a 2-5 record so far in the AHL with a .895 save percentage and 3.20 goals-against-average.
Still in the beginning stages of his career, the 22-year-old will enjoy getting to practice with the big club before returning to the minors. Koskenvuo’s entry level contract expires after 2026-27, as he’ll work to move up the organizational depth chart until then.
Pacific Notes: Frederic, Pitlick, Koskenvuo
Edmonton Oilers’ forward Trent Frederic was activated from the injured reserve list today and is in the lineup for their game against the Los Angeles Kings. Team TV host Tony Brar said yesterday there was a slight chance for a return for Frederic today, who has been out since Feb. 27 with a lower-body injury. Today marks his first action in an Oilers jersey since being traded on March 4 from the Boston Bruins as in a three-team deal.
Frederic is slotted on the team’s second line alongside center Adam Henrique and winger Zach Hyman. In 57 games in Boston this season, Frederic posted 15 points, a minue-14 rating, and 144 hits while averaging 13:50 of total ice time per game. While he’s seeing top six minutes in his Edmonton debut, he’ll likely slot into a depth role for the squad once stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, as well as veteran Evander Kane, return from injury.
Frederic is set to hit free agency following the season but should prove to be a strong resource for the Oilers heading into the playoffs. The 27-year-old has appeared in 22 playoff contests in his career, including 13 games last season in Boston.
Elsewhere in the Pacific:
- The San Jose Sharks’ AHL affiliate announced the release of veteran Rem Pitlick today. Pitlick appeared in 18 games for the San Jose Barracuda this season, picking up two goals and 13 points along the way. A veteran of five NHL seasons, Pitlick’s best results occurred during the 2021-22 campaign, where he registered 15 goals and 37 points in 66 contests split between the Minnesota Wild and Montreal Canadiens. In 132 career NHL games, Pitlick has picked up 21 goals and 54 points, while adding an additional 138 points in the AHL. Originally a 2016 third round selection of the Nashville Predators, Pitlick will look for another opportunity to make his way back into the NHL.
- The Vancouver Canucks’ AHL affiliate signed goalie Aku Koskenvuo to an amateur try-out agreement, per a team announcement. The 22-year-old, Finnish prospect just wrapped up his third NCAA season at Harvard, posting a respectable .902 save percentage on the season. And while the team’s 2021 fifth round selection only secured an ATO, it is likely Koskenvuo will receive an entry-level deal at some point soon.
Canucks Sign Aku Koskenvuo To Entry-Level Contract
The Vancouver Canucks have signed collegiate goaltender Aku Koskenvuo to a three-year entry-level contract. The deal comes after Koskenvuo’s junior year at Harvard University came to an end on Sunday. He was a strong goaltender until the very end of his collegiate career, making 47 saves on 49 shots in Harvard’s final game of the season. It was his fourth-consecutive start and second-consecutive overtime appearance. Koskenvuo made 138 saves on 147 shots in his last four games of the season.
Koskenvuo earned Harvard’s starting role through the latter half of this season, after spending his freshman year as the third-string and last season splitting starts. He climbed to the full-time role on the back of an 8-9-1 record, .902 save percentage, and 2.81 goals-against-average in 20 games this season. The stat line was a slight lateral step from his sophomore totals last year, when Koskenvuo managed a 5-6-4 record, .910 Sv%, and 2.95 GAA.
The Canucks drafted Koskenvuo in the fifth round of the 2021 NHL Draft, after his first full season in Finland’s U20 SM-sarja. In what was a shortened 2020-21 season, Koskenvuo posted a .893 Sv% and 2.92 GAA in 13 games with HIFK’s U20 club. He followed it up with a .897 Sv% and 2.79 GAA in 27 U20 games in 2021-22. Through the mix, Koskenvuo also served as a go-to option for Team Finland’s international juniors clubs. He recorded a .874 Sv% and 3-3-0 record in six games of the 2021 World U18 Championship; but cratered at the 2023 World Junior Championships with a .842 Sv% an 4.47 GAA en route to an 0-2-0 record.
Koskenvuo will join a crowded goalie room in the Canucks organization. He’ll spar for minutes with players like Arturs Silovs, Nikita Tolopilo, and Ty Young at the AHL level. Tolopilo has served as the starter for the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks and has a .896 Sv% and 2.74 GAA in 30 appearances. Young leads the minor squad in save percentage, with a .905 in just nine AHL appearances.