Maple Leafs Acquire Aatu Raty

A few hours after clearing waivers, center Aatu Räty is granted a new opportunity. According to a team announcement, the Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired Räty from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for forwards Jacob Quillan and Brandon Buhr.

Although the Maple Leafs could have acquired Räty for nothing via waivers, there is a method to the madness. If Toronto claimed him and tried to assign him to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, they would have to waive him again. However, because the Maple Leafs waited for Räty to clear waivers before acquiring him, he now becomes more flexible. Räty now must play in 10 games or be on the roster for 30 days before being eligible for waivers again.

Even if he doesn’t raise his offensive ceiling in Toronto, Räty still has much to offer the Maple Leafs. As we covered yesterday, in his three and a half years with the Canucks, Räty achieved a 59.6% success rate in the faceoff dot while delivering 255 hits. Furthermore, Räty began approximately 60% of his shifts in the defensive zone, further emphasizing his quality performance in the dot. Toronto is already one of the league’s best at winning faceoffs this season, and Räty will only increase that production.

Still, Räty isn’t without his flaws. To start, despite being a respectable point producer in the Finnish Liiga and AHL, Räty has struggled in the NHL. During his time with the Canucks, Räty totalled 12 goals and 27 points in 106 games. Furthermore, he’s remarkably slow, placing in the bottom 50th percentile of all speed metrics according to NHL EDGE data.

Meanwhile, Vancouver is taking some flyers on a pair of forward prospects. Quillan, 24, joined the Maple Leafs organization toward the end of the 2023-24 campaign after finishing his tenure at Quinnipiac University. Like Räty, Quillan has excelled in the AHL, scoring 32 goals and 74 points in 118 games with a +12 rating.

Unfortunately, again like Räty, Quillan’s offensive prowess hasn’t translated to the game’s highest level. Debuting with the Maple Leafs in the 2024-25 campaign, Quillan has made 24 NHL appearances, scoring a goal and two assists while averaging 10:04 of ice time per game.

Unlike the other two, Buhr has no NHL experience, as he only recently began his professional career. Another collegiate signing by Toronto, Buhr finished his career at Union College last season, totaling 49 goals and 88 points in 116 games. Finishing the 2025-26 campaign with AHL Toronto, Buhr registered two assists in five games.

Regardless, it’s a coming home of sorts for Buhr. Even if he spends the foreseeable future with Abbotsford, he’ll be much closer to North Vancouver, where he was born and raised. Before heading stateside to play in the NCAA, Buhr spent several years with the BHCL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs.