Canucks Make Two Intriguing Bets By Acquiring Buhr And Quillan From The Maple Leafs

The Vancouver Canucks and the Toronto Maple Leafs have made a trade. Vancouver has sent forward Aatu Räty to Toronto in exchange for forwards Brandon Buhr and Jacob Quillan. At the time of the trade, Buhr was assigned to the ECHL, while Quillan had been playing in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies. 

Seeing Räty traded is not unexpected. The 23-year-old center had been a healthy scratch multiple times this season and cleared waivers on Thursday. The return, however, is intriguing, as Vancouver was able to pick up two 24-year-old forwards. 

Starting with Buhr, he wrapped up his NCAA career last year and has made the jump to pro. He was assigned to the ECHL and is waiting for the season to start. Buhr, who is from North Vancouver, was over a point per game last year with Union College and made his AHL debut with the Marlies last season where he recorded two assists in five games. 

Buhr's game revolves around physicality. He is listed at 6'2", 205 lbs, and can use his size to not just throw hits, but win board battles at a high rate. Buhr is also a decent skater and, based on his time in the NCAA, isn't shy about shooting the puck. 

As for Quillan, he already has some experience in the NHL. He has played 24 games for the Maple Leafs, where he has scored one goal and recorded two assists. Before making the jump to the pro level, Quillan spent three years at Quinnipiac University and also had a stop in the BCHL with the Penticton Vees. 

Quillan projects as a bottom-six forward who has decent speed and plays a physical brand of hockey. Over his 24 NHL games, he has recorded 47 hits and won 42.0% of his faceoffs. Quillan is listed at 6'1", 204 lbs, and was part of Toronto's Calder Cup victory in 2026. 

Ultimately, this is an intriguing bet by Ryan Johnson. Both Buhr and Quillan have potential, but also need to be re-signed at the end of the campaign. Overall, it will be interesting to see how both develop and whether either gets called up later this season. 

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