On Wednesday, the Vancouver Canucks placed former New York Islanders second-round pick Aatu Räty on waivers.
He has passed through waivers and will report to Abbotsford of the American Hockey League.
Räty, now 23, was the top prospect included in the deal that brought Bo Horvat back to Long Island on Jan. 30, 2023. He went to Vancouver along with the team’s 2023 first-round pick and fan favorite Anthony Beauvillier.
Once the trade broke — it was during the NHL All-Star Break, with Horvat vacationing with his family in Disney — there were many who viewed the trade as a disaster for Lou Lamoriello and the Islanders and a slam dunk for the Canucks, especially after Vancouver flipped the Islanders’ pick to the Detroit Red Wings for top-pair defenseman Filip Hronek.
The Canucks’ decision to trade Horvat — actually, their decision to sign J.T. Miller to an eight-year extension over Horvat in the summer of 2022 — was the beginning of their organization’s downfall.
Anyway, back to Räty and how Lamoriello deserves credit for upping his prospect’s value right before the trade.