Canucks News & Rumours: Why Move Räty & Meriläinen’s Near Theft

The Canucks clearly came to a different conclusion. They traded Räty to the Maple Leafs for Jacob Quillan and Brandon Buhr, two players with plenty to prove before they become NHL regulars. Neither is a sure thing, and it’s possible neither becomes a regular in Vancouver. Still, I can understand the thinking. If the organization didn’t believe Räty would make it, taking a chance on two different players might have been a better option than sticking with one it had already evaluated. Two long shots might look more attractive than one, even if the odds aren’t great for either.

I don’t know that Vancouver made a mistake here. The organization sees Räty in practice every day, and they know his limitations better than I do. But I would have liked to see him get a little more time to find his niche. Sometimes a young player doesn’t need to become something special. He just needs to become useful in a particular role. I thought Räty might have had a chance to do that as a fourth-line defensive centre. Apparently, the Canucks didn’t agree, and now we’ll see whether either player they received can turn this opportunity into something more.

Leevi Meriläinen Is Giving the Canucks a Reason to Watch

It’s hard not to feel for Meriläinen after Thursday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers. The Canucks goalie made 36 saves and carried a shutout into the third period, only to see Brady Tkachuk score twice in the final nine minutes, including the tying goal with just 13 seconds left. Tkachuk completed his hat trick in overtime, leaving Meriläinen with a tough loss despite another strong performance.

The encouraging part for Vancouver is that Meriläinen is giving the team a reason to keep turning to him. He has stopped 102 of 111 shots over his last four games, posting a .919 save percentage. For the season, he’s 1-1-1 with a 2.51 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage. Those are encouraging numbers for a goalie trying to establish himself, particularly with Kevin Lankinen struggling.

Of course, one good stretch doesn’t settle the goaltending question. Meriläinen still has to show he can handle the workload and maintain this level. But NHL opportunities don’t always arrive with a big announcement. Sometimes a goalie simply plays well enough that the coach has to give him another start. Meriläinen seems to be getting there, and the Canucks would be wise to see where this goes before assuming anything about their depth chart.

What’s Next for the Canucks?

The Räty trade is one of those moves that probably won’t tell us much until we see what happens next. Quillan and Buhr have a chance to make something of their opportunities, but Vancouver will need patience if either is going to develop into an NHL player. Meanwhile, Räty gets a fresh start in Toronto. I still wonder whether the Canucks might eventually wish they’d given him more time, but only his future play can answer that.

Meriläinen’s situation is more immediate. If he keeps stopping pucks at this rate, he’ll make it increasingly difficult for Vancouver to reduce his role. The Canucks have bigger problems to solve, but finding a goalie who gives them a chance to win is never a minor deal. For now, I’d be inclined to keep watching him.

Sometimes the most useful player on a struggling team is the one who gives it a reason to believe tomorrow might look a little better than today. He could have stolen a win for his team last night, but he came up 13 seconds short. He played very well indeed.