After being placed on NHL waivers on Wednesday, Vancouver Canucks forward Aatu Räty has cleared waivers and will report to AHL Abbotsford.

Räty, 23, has appeared in just four of the Canucks’ eight games this season. He scored into the empty net to ice the game in his season debut against the Calgary Flames, but has since been held off the scoresheet. The Finnish centre has served as the fourth-line centre in all his games this season, and his ice time reflects that, with sub-10 minutes in three of those contests. He has the lone point, four shots on goal, two penalty minutes, and a minus-two rating, while averaging 10:10 this season. Known as a faceoff ace, Räty won 56.8% of his draws this season.

The 6’2″ centreman found himself further down the depth chart now with the return of Filip Chytil tonight against the Florida Panthers. Similarly, we saw the same at Canucks training camp.

Once viewed as the Canucks’ sure-fire fourth-line centre to begin the year, Räty found himself centring a line with Ty Mueller and Trey Fix-Wolansky, two forwards destined to start the season in the AHL Abbotsford. In contrast, Max Sasson centred the true fourth line between Drew O’Connor and Brendan Gallagher – the expected fourth line tonight against the Panthers, according to this morning’s line rushes.

Come the preseason, Räty played the first two games with the young prospects and AHLers. Because he had played over 100 NHL games, he was considered an NHL veteran and was limited to just two preseason games. This meant Räty didn’t play with the large group filled with most of the NHL regulars, suggesting he may be on the outside looking in on the NHL lineup.

After spending all of 2025-26 in the NHL, scoring four goals and 14 points in 66 games, Räty will now report to the AHL. In 169 career American League games, Räty has scored 44 goals and 75 assists for 119 points. He will now form a complete centre core for the Abbotsford Canucks alongside Ty Mueller, Braeden Cootes, and Chase Wouters, who now form their four traditional centremen down the middle.

Abbotsford hosts the Coachella Valley Firebirds for their home opener on Saturday, October 17.