Ty Rattie’s strange run with the St. Louis Blues appeared to be over after the Carolina Hurricanes claimed him off of waivers back in January. That bizarre road took another turn as the Blues claimed Rattie back after Carolina placed him on waivers this weekend. Due to the claim, the Blues were able to immediately assign Rattie to the AHL.
You might recall that after Rattie left I described his situation as a mishandled, but overhyped prospect. The Blues could have done more with him and could have given him a bigger opportunity, but at the same time, he entered with expectations he never could fulfill.
After moving to Carolina, it looked like Rattie would finally have a shot to prove himself on a regular basis. That didn’t really happen as he appeared in just five games (producing two assists) and was soon regularly appearing on the healthy scratch list. The Hurricanes decided it was time to move Rattie down to the AHL and that’s what brings Rattie back to St. Louis.
The whole situation is rather unusual. Rattie may have been a roster casualty in St. Louis, but it also seemed like the organization was ready to move on and admit he wasn’t the prospect many had hoped. That logic was thrown out the window as the team claimed Rattie back from Carolina. With the Blues getting healthier, the claim was a clear AHL move (the Blues owe the Chicago Wolves some help after poaching a series of players away over the past two months), but it also shows the Blues may still think Rattie has something left to show.
Realistically, Rattie would have to do something remarkable to receive another shot at the NHL level with the Blues. The team’s other callups from the AHL have performed very well and have moved Rattie even further down the totem pole. That being said, Rattie is still relatively young (he’s 24) and though he’s well past the age where most players break out, there’s still that remote hope something could happen. He has played in just 35 NHL games and most of those came in roles where his likelihood for success was limited.
Rattie’s road has been a weird one, but let’s hope this time around he’s able to find himself and be a real contributor in his second stint with the Blues.
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