Canucks: How Nils Aman clearing waivers benefits depth, injury insurance

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The book on Nils Aman is a decent read, but it’s missing a couple of chapters.

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The next one will be written in the AHL at Abbotsford — although it could have been somewhere else, had an NHL team claimed the versatile Canucks centre off waivers to add roster depth or address a number of injuries.

When Aman cleared waivers on Sunday morning, it spoke to what works and what doesn’t for the big Swedish pivot. He relies on size to gain position, but isn’t a crasher and banger or a finisher, and he’s also quiet and unassuming. Not the normal pedigree for a fourth-liner.

Aman skates well and makes smart decisions — which makes make him valuable on the penalty kill — but the 6-foot-2, 185 pound forward been squeezed out by better bottom-six options down the middle in Teddy Blueger and Pius Suter, who scored twice Saturday in a 3-2 win at San Jose.

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With a roster spot needed for the eventual return of Dakota Joshua from testicular cancer, the Canucks were hoping Aman would clear to get games with the farm team and regain confidence.

He has been a healthy scratch the last four NHL games and six overall this season, so getting more ice time in AHL and being a recall option — whether through injury or indifferent play — is the option head coach Rick Tocchet likes to possess. Aman can also play wing.

In Abbotsford, the affiliate club is deploying Aatu Raty and Max Sasson as its top-two centres, so Aman would slot into a support role at centre or on the flank. He has 24 points (12-12) in 32 games the past two AHL seasons.

Aman, a 2020 sixth-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche who never played for that club, has two shots and two assists in four NHL games this season and is averaging 10:28. In 120 games with the Canucks, he has 25 points (7-18).

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Part of Aman’s transition to North America was coming out of his shell. His teammates knew there’s another side — a funny and witty component — to the native of tiny Avesta, Sweden, that has but 15,000 residents and produced Hockey Hall of Fame defenceman Nicklas Lidstrom.

However, it took time to surface.

“I usually get a ‘good morning’ from him and that’s about it,” chuckled Tocchet. “I appreciate his work ethic and perseverance. There’s a lot there. Whoever taught him breakouts did a good job because he knows how to position himself. He caught on quick.”

The Canucks could have sent winger Arshdeep Bains to the AHL because he’s not waiver eligible, but the Surrey native has impressed Tocchet with his hustle and desire. And defenceman Erik Brannstrom looks like he has NHL game, too.

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Aman, 24, also has another year left on his two-year contract at just a US$825,000 salary-cap hit and is a good insurance against injury.

The promising Raty, 21, excelled in NHL pre-season faceoffs and played with grit and finish to start the season here before being reassigned to Abbotsford after three games. He has responded with five points (3-2) in seven games.

To his credit, Aman has lauded countryman and Hockey Hall of Fame centre Henrik Sedin for showing him the tricks of the trade and helping with the language barrier. How much?

“A lot,” said Aman. “Having someone like that to talk Swedish to, that helped me with small details. And it’s hard to describe. He’s just a really nice guy to talk to and he gives me really good feedback on everything and faceoffs.

“It’s been good.”

Good enough to get back to The Show? We’ll have to wait and see.

bkuzma@postmedia.com

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