Canucks make surprise roster move, send top prospect to AHL

Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin announced on Wednesday morning that the team's top center prospect, Finnish youngster Aatu Raty, has been sent down to the Abbotsford Canucks of the AHL.

This means that, at least for now, the training camp fairytale for the 21-year-old is now over as the Canucks desperately look at any and all possibilities to try and find a spark of life amidst a winless start to the 2024-25 season.

Raty impressively made the Canucks out of training camp and played in a handful of games (three, to be exact), similar to last season. In both instances, Raty picked up one assist.

The former Islanders draft pick played only sparingly in his short time in Vancouver with the Canucks so far this year, playing 8:46, 10:22, and 9:56 in his three appearances.

Raty has generally excelled in the faceoff dot, as he is over a 60% success rate as a Canucks player and sitting at 55.7% for his 18-game NHL career thus far. The one weakness the Finn does have, though, is that he does not shoot the puck all that much. In his 18 games, Raty has just 17 shots on goal, including just one in his six games with the Canucks.

The Canucks did not announce another move that corresponds with Raty going to Abbotsford, so, at least for now, Vancouver will continue on with 22 players on their roster out of the maximum 23.

The timing is peculiar, too, as the Canucks have away dates with Florida, Philadelphia, and Chicago before returning home to Vancouver on Oct. 26 against Pittsburgh.