The Vancouver Canucks are expected to call up Aatu Räty from the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks, according to multiple sources. Per Harman Dayal of The Athletic and Canucks Conversation, Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet name-dropped Räty when talking about the Canucks’ hole at centre following today’s practice in Anaheim.
Arshdeep Bains skated as the placeholder on the Canucks’ fourth line at practice on Monday afternoon after being demoted from the top six wing spot next to Elias Pettersson and Conor Garland. While Bains started Saturday’s game against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday in that spot, he was taken off of it in favour of Pius Suter later in the game, and it was Suter who scored the eventual game-winning goal, his second of the game.
As outlined in today’s Scenes from morning skate courtesy of Jeff Paterson, Suter is expected to line up in that spot on Elias Pettersson’s wing for Tuesday’s game against the Ducks. Clearly, the Canucks liked what they saw from Suter playing the wing — a spot he held down admirably when playing with JT Miller and Brock Boeser down the stretch last season.
Of course, Suter going to the wing leaves a hole on the Canucks’ fourth line, and after sending down Nils Aman over the weekend, the Canucks are currently without a natural fit to take over for Suter at centre. Enter Aatu Räty.
Räty wasn’t present at Canucks practice today in Anaheim, but he was nearby, as Räty and the Abbotsford Canucks, like the NHL team, are in California on a road trip. Räty put up three points in Saturday’s win over the San Diego Gulls, and has looked exceptional since being sent down to the AHL after three NHL games this season.
Räty came into camp with relatively low expectations surrounding him and knocked down the door, earning the spot as the Canucks’ third line centre to start the 2024-25 campaign. He managed to not look out of place alongside Conor Garland and Nils Höglander, and that says a lot about the progression he’s made, specifically to his skating.
Räty is better on faceoffs than Aman, is younger, has more upside, and really, deserves another look after how he’s played all season long at both the NHL and AHL levels.
The Canucks take on the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night before rolling into LA to take on the Kings on Thursday night. They will then return home for their first date of the season with the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.
