On Saturday, forward Nils Åman cleared waivers, with the Vancouver Canucks sending the 25-year-old down to its American Hockey League affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. Goaltender Nikita Tolopilo was also assigned to the AHL.

It comes after a relatively strong start to the preseason for Åman. The Avesta, Sweden native potted a goal in the Canucks’ first game against the Seattle Kraken last month. However, he struggled to produce for the remainder of the preseason, going pointless in his final two appearances.

Åman’s role within the organization has diminished over the past couple of years. After seemingly being a regular in the Canucks’ lineup during the 2022-23 campaign, when he scored four goals and 12 assists for 16 points in 68 games, the Leksands IF product played 43 games with Vancouver in 2023-24, only appearing in 19 games last year. He still proved he can be a solid scoring threat during the 2024-25 campaign in Abbotsford. In 36 games, he potted seven goals and 23 assists for 30 points, finishing ninth on the team in scoring despite not playing the full season in the AHL. His season ended prematurely due to a shoulder injury, and he wasn’t able to play with the Abby Canucks as they went on to win the franchise’s first Calder Cup.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t helped his stock among other notable prospects, like Braeden Cootes and Aatu Räty, who have become two of the team’s rising stars in recent years. That said, if an early-season injury comes about, Åman could be one of the NHL side’s first call-ups. If he were to be in Abbotsford for the long haul, he would provide the necessary experience for a roster that has seen loads of changeover since last spring.

Åman is heading into the final season of his two-year contract, which carries a cap hit of $825,000, and is to be a restricted free agent next summer.

In 135 NHL appearances, including playoffs, Åman has scored eight goals and 21 assists for 29 points. In 68 games with Abbotsford, he has totaled 19 goals and 35 assists for 54 points.