The Vancouver Canucks tried to trade Aatu Raty before putting him on waivers Wednesday, and not one club bit.
That's the word from Patrick Johnston, who reported Wednesday afternoon that the front office shopped the 23-year-old forward and came up empty.
So now it's the wire. Any team can grab him for nothing, which is an odd sales pitch after the phone stayed quiet.
Johnston didn't soften his read either. He called Raty nothing but a bit player in Vancouver going forward.
Harsh? Sure. The numbers don't push back much, with one goal and a -2 rating in four of the club's eight games.
And he wasn't in the lineup Tuesday night when the Islanders slipped past Vancouver 3-2.
Scouts around the league track that kind of usage closely. A forward watching half the schedule from upstairs rarely draws a real offer.
Manny Malhotra's depth chart left no room for the Finn
Here's what makes the failed trade sting. Raty costs $850,000 against the cap, about as low-risk as an NHL contract gets.
A cheap young forward with zero interest usually means scouts saw something they didn't like. Or nobody wants to burn a roster spot in October.
If he goes unclaimed, it's a garage sale where the sign says free and the box is still sitting on the table at closing time.
Meanwhile the Canucks have bigger fires burning. They've lost five straight and sit at 2-6-0.
Kevin Lankinen carries a .779 save percentage across seven appearances. No depth move touches that.
Letting it get out that nobody wanted him was a bad move. It kills whatever leverage remained and tells 31 other clubs they can simply wait.
Who claims a player after the whole league already passed on trading for him?
Somebody might. A claim costs nothing but a roster spot, and a forward with NHL games on his résumé fits plenty of depth charts.
Vancouver is in Florida on Thursday night, then Tampa Bay on Saturday. Raty's next sweater might not say Canucks by then.
-
Was it a mistake for the Canucks to let it be known nobody wanted Aatu Raty?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Dylan Larkin could be a Canadien within hours if he approves Montreal, says David Pagnotta
