The Vancouver Canucks week in review has brought about an Aatu Räty trade announcement, as he has been shipped to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for forwards Jacob Quillan and Brandon Buhr. A player who was supposed to be an important part of the 2023 Bo Horvat trade will see a change of scenery just three years later. Let us discuss the trade and the fallout from it.
Jan 31, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars defenseman Esa Lindell (23) and Vancouver Canucks center Aatu Raty (54) in action during the game between the Dallas Stars and the Vancouver Canucks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
A summary of Räty as a player has a guy who finished in the top five in faceoffs last year. He took more than 400 faceoffs all told last year, and won 60.5 percent of them. This is likely a reason why Toronto sought him out. In addition, Räty recorded 14 points in 66 games last season and a goal in four games this season. He lost his regular roster spot this season, as the Canucks opted for other faster centre options. We mentioned yesterday that waiving Räty could signal an imminent return for Filip Chytil or a potential trade.
"We want to thank Aatu for all he has done for the organization, and we wish him well in Toronto," said general manager Ryan Johnson in a press release . "By acquiring Jacob and Brandon this move gives our group two new young players to work with as we continue to look for ways to improve our overall depth."
For the Maple Leafs, who acquired Räty, they are getting a depth centre at a very team-friendly price of an $850,000 salary cap hit for the rest of the season. He will become a restricted free agent at the end of the season. Furthermore, he is only 23 years old, with potential to grow still. His biggest weakness is his speed, which ranks quite low in all metrics according to NHL EDGE. He only has 16 speed bursts between 18 and 20 miles per hour, whereas the league average is 37.5. For the Canucks, his primary role was to take faceoffs, which was not enough to warrant taking a regular roster spot.
The team waited for Räty to clear waivers first, not only because they had a full 50-player roster yesterday, but because they now have a 30-day period to send Räty down to the minors without requiring waivers again.
With this Aatu Räty trade on Thursday, the Canucks have lost both players from the 2023 Bo Horvat trade, as along with Räty they had previously moved Anthony Beauvillier . Of course, the 2023 first-round pick the Canucks received from that trade was traded for Filip Hronek as well as a fourth-round draft pick (Ty Mueller), both of whom remain with the organization. For a trade that former GM Patrik Allvin spun as "getting three first-rounders back" at the time, this is a rather disappointing but telling reality of what that trade actually was.
The Canucks acquired Jacob Quillan and Brandon Buhr in exchange for Räty. Quillan, 24, is a centre with decent foot speed, which is something the Canucks needed. He ranked in the 67th percentile in maximum skating speed at 22.57 miles per hour, according to NHL EDGE, last season. He also had a productive year with the Toronto Marlies last season, with 36 points in 40 games. He also recorded three points in 23 games with the Maple Leafs. He is a defensively responsible forward who can also play in a penalty-killing role.
Buhr, also 24, is a right winger who has played at Union College since the 2023-24 season. He had a short stint with the Toronto Marlies during the 2025-26 season, with two assists in five games. The North Vancouver native was a player the Canucks went after when he left Union College, according to Rick Dhaliwal. He will start the year in Kalamazoo, the Canucks' ECHL affiliate.
This is a good opportunity for Räty to look to prove himself in a new organization, as he just could not live up to his potential in Vancouver. Could he be another Podkolzin situation, where he thrives outside of Vancouver, given a proper chance in the lineup, or will other teams deploy him the same way Vancouver did? In any case, this is a rough ending for Räty's time in Vancouver, but for the Canucks, they have obtained two forwards, one of which could get a shot at the NHL level.
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Main Photo Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
