Canucks Lineup Questions: Räty's Role, Mancini's Chance, DeBrusk's Return
Vancouver is still settling early-season lineup roles, with Aatu Räty scratched twice and now working as an extra forward. Victor Mancini may get his first chance, while Jake DeBrusk is ready to return from an illness. Because Räty would need waivers to go to the AHL, the Canucks risk losing him if they try to send him down.
Aatu Räty, 23, sat out Vancouver’s opening two contests and has logged 9:43 per appearance. His faceoff success—60.5% last season, 61.5% this year—offers value, but 12 goals and 27 points across 104 NHL games leave offensive questions. He practiced as an extra, and sending him to the AHL requires waivers, risking another team claiming him.
Victor Mancini, scratched for Vancouver’s first four games after an uneven camp and preseason, skated with Elias Pettersson on the third pair. Luke Schenn may sit Thursday against Carolina, a faster, more skilled opponent, giving Mancini’s mobility a possible opening. Jake DeBrusk’s return from illness could push Räty out.
For Vancouver fans and the players involved, these lineup choices could shape early-season momentum and individual careers. Räty may face uncertainty over his NHL future, while Mancini could gain confidence from a first opportunity. DeBrusk’s return may stabilize the forward group. The wider effect is mostly local: fan engagement, media discussion, and the team’s competitive trajectory, rather than broad societal change.