Aatu Raty to start the season in the NHL: He could force Tocchet's hand

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Cooper Godin
September 26, 2024 (1:16 PM)

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Finnish prospect Aatu Räty could force the Vancouver Canucks into a tough position if he performs well during camp and preseason games over the next week.

Aatu Räty is one of a handful of players that has appeared in both of Vancouver's games during preseason so far and in each game, he's played well and if he continues this way, it could lead to an interesting decision for the coaching and management staffs at the end of training camp.

Frank Corrado, a former Vancouver Canucks defenceman, was a guest on Sekeres and Price on Thursday and said that while he doesn't think Räty will start the season in the NHL, if his strong play continues throughout the remainder of training camp, he could force their hand into making a difficult decision with another member of the organization.

"I don't see a spot for him either. But I thought watching him last night, I'm like, if he plays like that and then some, and keeps it up, like there's definitely not a spot available, but could he force their hand a little bit? He looked to me like, you know when you watch some guys and you're like, especially during the preseason, you think that guy's an AHL player. Just like the way he skates, the way he looks, the way he carries himself, you could just tell if you put an NHL player next to an AHL player in preseason, you can kind of figure it out. From watching him, I'm like that guy looks an NHL player last night." Corrado said.

Räty took a big step forward in his development last season, setting a new career-high in points with the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks, registering 52 (18 goals, 34 assists) in 72 games. He followed that up with four points in six games during the playoffs.

The Oulu native is pushing for a roster spot and knows that it's going to be difficult, but believes he's ready to be in the National Hockey League, admitting that he still has room to improve and has to keep working hard every day.

"It doesn't matter whether you are, you know, 21 or 31, you just want to make the team," Räty said. "Obviously, as a 21-year-old, I know I have a lot of room to improve and a lot of time to do so.

But, at the same time, I think I've put in the hours, and I feel like I'm ready for it."

He added, "It's just about keeping at it, you know? I just gotta keep working. I think if I do the right things every day, it's going to happen eventually. I'm not too worried about when it's going to happen. I just know if I keep working, it's going to happen."

Canucks fans can expect to see Aatu Räty in the lineup quite a bit during the remainder of the preseason and it's going to be interesting to see where he ends up once camp concludes in less than two weeks.