The Vancouver Canucks are in a massive funk. While they did beat the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, they are 1-3-0 in their last four outings and have not won multiple games in a row since December 1. At this point, a shake-up is needed, which should include calling Aatu Räty up for the AHL.
Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:
Canucks Tocchet Gives His Thoughts On McDavid & Myers Suspensions
The Players Behind The Canucks’ Quarter-Century Team
“It’s A Privilege To Play With Him”: Canucks Boeser Discusses What Makes Quinn Hughes So Special
Räty has been on fire for the Abbotsford lately. He has ten points in his last five games and was recently named the AHL Player of the Week. Thanks to his strong performance, the AHL Canucks are currently on a six-game winning streak and have improved their record this season to 20-15-1-1.
Related: Canucks Prospect Räty Named AHL Player Of The Week
One of the big issues for Vancouver this season has been getting pucks on net. This has been an area where Räty has thrived recently, with six shots over his last two games. While there is no guarantee that Räty will be able to match his 2.43 shots per game at the NHL level, it is clear that he has become a more confident player this season, which has led to his recent hot streak.
Räty has also shown that he can be successful at the NHL level. During his 20 games with the Canucks this season, he has won 56.3% of his faceoffs while delivering 48 hits. Räty also brings some versatility, as he can play both at center and on the wing.
The biggest question mark surrounding Räty is whether he can produce offensively at the NHL level. While his four points in 20 games this year don’t pop off the page, he did play a limited role early in the season, averaging 9:31 of ice time. Yes, the 22-year-old is not ready just yet for a top-six role, but might be able to start producing if given some time on the second power play unit.
Based on the way that Räty has been playing, he deserves to be called up to the NHL. Not only would Räty bring some extra energy to the ice, but he could also help jump-start the bottom six, which has struggled to score over the month. Ultimately, Vancouver needs to change their roster and could do that by rewarding Räty with a call-up.
Make sure you bookmark THN’s Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.
