The Vancouncer Canucks shared a number of transactions this afternoon: Defenseman Elias N. Pettersson has been assigned to AHL Abbotsford, while Victor Mancini has been recalled. Additionally, goaltender Nikita Tolopilo has been recalled from Abbotsford under emergency conditions. 

Set to return to action tomorrow night in Montreal, the Canucks swap Pettersson for Mancini, the former who skated just 13:58 in a 5-0 loss to Toronto on Saturday, fewest out of Vancouver’s defensemen by a considerable margin. Pettersson has played in 38 of the team’s 44 games this season, in a bottom pairing role, but the 21-year-old is still finding his game at the highest level, and will return to the AHL for more seasoning, where he’s made just one appearance so far in 2025-26. 

On the other hand, Mancini brings a right-handed shot to the table, and will earn another look after five games early in the season, where he did not record a point in limited ice time. Since then, Mancini has put up six points in 20 games in the AHL, not jumping out on the page, but the 6’3” rearguard is a pure stay-at-home contributor. If able to enter the lineup over Pierre-Olivier Joseph, eyes will be on the former fifth-round choice of the Rangers to showcase improved mobility and sound decision-making with the puck, if he can become a full-time NHLer in the future. 

Another feature of today’s news, Tolopilo, a netminder, has been recalled under emergency conditions. The 25-year-old will likely serve as Kevin Lankinen’s backup tomorrow night, as Thatcher Demko left last night’s game with an apparent lower-body injury. 

Tolopilo has played well in four NHL games this season, with a .911 save percentage and two wins, but naturally, the hope will be that Demko will not miss much time, while Tolopilo can return to the Abbotsford Canucks. Despite bringing home the Calder Cup last season, they’ve had a rough season so far, currently second-to-last in the AHL. 

With a season starting to get off the rails, Vancouver figures to have several more moves on the horizon leading up to the spring.