Ex-Islanders Top Prospect Lands On Waivers With New Team

The New York Islanders and former General Manager Lou Lamoriello made a blockbuster trade that changed the franchise four seasons ago, on January 30, 2023.

That day, the Islanders acquired then-Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat for Anthony Beauvillier, top prospect Aatu Räty, and a first-round pick.

Horvat has become the Islanders' captain and leads the franchise in goals since the day the trade was made.

Horvat's been nothing but a perfect Islander in every sense, and been worth every piece of that deal.

Beauvillier bounced around the league for a couple years after the trade, eventually settling in with the Washington Capitals.

The Canucks flipped the first-round pick for Filip Hronek.

Räty, a second-round pick for the Islanders, was seen as the coin flip that would decide the trade and who won it. He was a 20-year-old forward that broke out into the NHL just two years after getting drafted.

Wednesday afternoon, the Canucks placed Räty on waivers, with the intention of assigning the 23-year-old forward to the AHL.

While it's unlikely the forward gets claimed, it shows where he currently fits into the rebuilding Canucks' future.

Back on the day the trade was made, Räty had surged into being the Islanders' top prospect, and made his NHL Debut, and looked good as an NHLer.

He played 12 games with the Islanders before the deal. Since then, he's struggled to consistently break through with Vancouver. 

Räty has shown flashes throughout his career to be a contributing bottom-six forward. His 60% face-off win percentage makes him valuable depth for any team.

Whether or not his future remains in Vancouver is now in flux. Räty did not play for the Canucks in last night's loss to the Islanders.