Aatu Räty’s time on the NHL roster has come to a pause.
The Vancouver Canucks forward cleared waivers after being placed there Wednesday, and he is set to report to AHL Abbotsford. The move comes with Filip Chytil returning tonight against the Florida Panthers, pushing Räty further down the depth chart.
Räty, 23, has played in only four of Vancouver’s eight games this season. He opened his year with an empty-net goal against the Calgary Flames, but he has not added another point since.
Used exclusively as the fourth-line centre in his appearances, he has seen his ice time dip below 10 minutes in three of those games and has averaged 10:10 overall. So far he has one point, four shots on goal, two penalty minutes, and a minus-two rating.
He has also been effective in the circle, winning 56.8% of his faceoffs.
That lineup squeeze was already showing up before the season even began. At training camp, Räty was not working with the group of established NHL regulars.
Instead, he opened preseason alongside Ty Mueller and Trey Fix-Wolansky, two forwards expected to start the year in Abbotsford. Max Sasson, meanwhile, centered what looked like the actual fourth line between Drew O’Connor and Brendan Gallagher, and that same look was expected tonight against Florida, according to this morning’s line rushes.
Räty was limited to just two preseason games because he had played more than 100 NHL games, which made him an NHL veteran. He spent those two games with the prospects and AHL players rather than the larger group of regulars, another sign that he may have been on the outside of the NHL picture.
Last season, Räty spent the full year in the NHL, putting up four goals and 14 points in 66 games. Now he heads back to Abbotsford, where his 169 career AHL games include 44 goals and 75 assists for 119 points. His arrival gives the Abbotsford Canucks a full centre group down the middle, with Ty Mueller, Braeden Cootes, and Chase Wouters joining him as the team’s four traditional centremen.
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Rangers Fans Will Want To See Chytils Next Step In Vancouver
Filip Chytil is on the verge of finally getting into the Vancouver lineup, giving the Canucks another look at a player whose arrival has been delayed by a shoulder injury. He has been out for the first eight games, but the club is now setting up for his season debut as it heads into a meeting with the Florida Panthers, a matchup that also comes with Leevi Merilainen and Akira Schmid projected to handle the crease.
To make room, Vancouver moved center Aatu Raty off the roster, a sign the team is ready to see what Chytil can add once he is healthy. For the Canucks, the timing matters because they are trying to get their center depth sorted while the schedule keeps rolling, and for Rangers fans still tracking Chytils path, this is the next checkpoint in a season that is only just starting for him. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Face A Risky New Test With Chytil Back In The Mix
Filip Chytil is on track to rejoin the Canucks after working his way back from a preseason shoulder injury, and his return arrives at a time when Vancouver is still sorting out its lineup. The move gives the club another look at a player it expected to lean on, but it also comes with the kind of shuffling that tends to ripple beyond one spot in the forward group and into the defensive mix as well.
Aatu Rty being placed on waivers shows how quickly the roster picture can change when a key center is ready to come back, and the Canucks are making other tweaks as they prepare for Florida. The Panthers arrive without Aleksander Barkov and Jacob Markstrom because of injuries, with Akira Schmid expected to start in goal, which adds another layer to a matchup already shaped by Vancouvers latest personnel test. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Just Made An Aatu Raty Move Fans Will Debate
The Canucks made a notable roster move shortly before facing the Florida Panthers, sending centreman Aatu Rty to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a swap announced by general manager Ryan Johnson. Vancouver is getting two young forwards with professional experience in Jacob Quillan and Brandon Buhr, adding another layer to a deal that shifts a promising depth piece out of the organization.
Rtys move also sends him into a Toronto mix that already includes several former Canucks, which gives the trade a familiar cast for both sides. For Vancouver, the timing alone makes it a conversation starter, with the front office choosing to act at a moment when the lineup was already headed into game-night mode. [Read more 🡒]