The Vancouver Canucks took a calculated risk on Wednesday when they put Aatu Räty on waivers, and then got an unexpected result: no one bit.
Management knew Räty had a decent shot of getting claimed, and in some ways that was part of the plan. General manager Ryan Johnson told Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston the club had already tried to move him in a trade, but couldn’t land the right return.
“Had to make a hard decision,” said Johnson. “Great kid that if he was gonna sparingly play here, feel like I owe him a new opportunity.”
Instead of landing elsewhere, Räty cleared waivers, which leaves Vancouver with a few possible paths. The most immediate one is a trip back to the Abbotsford Canucks. Another is a trade now that any acquiring team could assign him straight to its AHL affiliate without worrying about a claim.
The move came because Filip Chytil is back from injury, and the Canucks needed to open a roster spot. They had the option of sending down a waiver-exempt player such as Victor Mancini and avoiding the risk entirely, but they chose Räty.
It’s a notable turn for a player who came to Vancouver as one of the three pieces in the Bo Horvat trade. That original haul has already been reshuffled: the first-overall pick from the Islanders ended up with the Detroit Red Wings in the Filip Hronek deal, while Anthony Beauvillier was moved to the Chicago Blackhawks for a fifth-round pick.
Räty has done plenty of damage in the AHL. He put up 40 points in 43 games for Abbotsford in the 2024-25 season.
But the NHL production hasn’t followed at the same pace. In 106 games with the Canucks, he has 12 goals and 27 points.
The skill is real, especially in the faceoff circle, where Räty has won 59.1 per cent of his draws over his career. That makes him look like a natural fit for a depth role.
The problem is that the rest of the package hasn’t fully matched it. His foot speed has been an issue, and his defensive reads have made coaches hesitant to trust him in tougher minutes.
That’s why his usage has been so narrow. Räty has mostly been deployed for key faceoffs, then quickly pulled off the ice for a more dependable forward. The danger shows up when he loses one of those important defensive-zone draws and has to stay out there.
It also says something that multiple Canucks coaches have arrived at the same conclusion: they haven’t felt comfortable giving him a regular shift. That includes Manny Malhotra, who had him in Abbotsford for a meaningful stretch.
Räty still has time to turn things around, and there’s certainly a lane for him if the pieces come together. For now, though, the question is simpler: when does the next NHL chance come, and will it still be in Vancouver?
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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 Just Sent A Troubling Message About Aatu Rty
Aatu Rtys season has taken an early detour, with the young Canucks forward moving out of Vancouvers NHL picture for now and heading to Abbotsford. Rty appeared in just four games this season and saw limited ice time before the organization decided to shift him to the AHL, where he will join a center group that already includes Ty Mueller, Braeden Cootes and Chase Wouters.
For Rty, it is a notable step back after spending the entire 2025-26 season in the NHL, and it underscores how crowded the middle of Vancouvers lineup has become. He has been productive in the minors before, piling up 119 points in 169 career AHL games, but this move suggests the Canucks need him to reset and stay ready for another opening when it comes. [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 🡒]