One of the centrepieces coming back in the Bo Horvat trade, Aatu Räty, looks to have his best opportunity to make the jump to a regular NHL job for the Vancouver Canucks in 2025-2026.
As previously mentioned, Räty was traded to the Canucks in 2023, along with winger Anthony Beauvillier and a 2023 first-round pick, in exchange for Horvat. Now, that pick was then used to acquire Filip Hronek from the Detroit Red Wings, but at the time of the trade, Räty was viewed as the more valuable asset of the three.
Räty was highly touted entering his draft year. Many projected him to go as high as first overall, but a disappointing three-goal, six-point draft year with Karpat of the SM-Liiga had him slide all the way down to 52nd overall before the New York Islanders selected him.
Once joining the Canucks, Räty had a short debut, playing just three games in Vancouver. Since then, Räty has been a tweener between the NHL and AHL.
In his first season in the Canucks organization, Räty spent the entire year as a top centre option for the Abbotsford Canucks. Playing a full 82-game season, the Finnish product scored 18 goals and 34 assists for 52 points. He added two goals and two assists in six postseason games.
However, Räty became the star of the Canucks’ 2024-2025 training camp for his unique technique in the faceoff dot. Räty would flip over his stick to create a scoop on his off-side and found success early, which earned him a spot between Nils Höglander and Conor Garland.
In fact, he impressed so much that Räty earned a spot in the opening night roster. However, his first stint in Vancouver was short-lived as after picking up just one assist in three games, Räty was sent back down to Abbotsford – despite finishing with a 61% faceoff percentage.
Räty would re-join Vancouver in early November and maintain a roster spot until December 10, before he was sent back down.
Despite a one-game emergency call-up after the JT Miller trade, Räty wouldn’t earn his next shot until the Canucks suffered a few injuries late in the season that opened up a roster spot for him. During that 12-game stretch, Räty remained a faceoff specialist, adding five goals and seven points to his point totals.
With his end-of-season surge, as well as his near point-per-game season in Abbotsford (17 goals and 40 points in 43 games), many pegged Räty as a lock to make the jump to Vancouver.
But with no clarity on a postseason injury that restricted him to just six playoff games, Räty’s offseason training may be affected. So what would Aatu Räty’s season look like for him to meet these expectations, and what are his goals heading into what might be his first year in the NHL?
Meeting expectations: Earn his role as an every-night NHL starter, hit the 25-30-point mark.
Looking at the current Canucks roster, this outcome seems pretty expected. With a centre depth of just Elias Pettersson, Filip Chytil, and Teddy Blueger, Räty is the next man up who’s ready for a promotion. He spent 33 games with Vancouver last season, so now that they need another centreman, Räty looks to be pencilled in on the opening night lineup for the second straight season.
Not only that, but Räty would be the only right-shot centreman on the roster. That, along with his faceoff ability, should at least allow him the first look at the open centre spot.
In Räty’s 33 games with the big club last season, Räty finished with seven goals and 11 points. If you stretch that out to an 82-game pace, that works out to be 28 points, which sits perfectly in the middle of what he would have to do to meet expectations. Now, of course, it all depends on who and where he plays. However, Canucks fans can also expect a year of growth, considering he’s only gotten better and better as his professional career has gone on.
Above expectations: Excel in a third-line centre role, hit the 40-point mark.
There’s a very strong likelihood that if the Canucks keep their current lineup, Räty will earn that 3C role. But for him to excel in that role will be the determining factor for him to exceed his expectations.
Räty’s only worry for losing that 3C role would be if the Canucks went out and added another centreman (ahem, Jack Roslovic). But even if the Canucks add Roslovic, that role could very well still be his. Roslovic is a right-shot centre, but mainly excelled on the wing last season. Roslovic could be used on the wing, but as an extra down the middle if the Canucks run into injury – kind of like Pius Suter was used during his time in Vancouver.
The tricky part to hit will be the 40-point mark. Räty doesn’t have much room to move up past the third line, as he’s playing behind Pettersson and Chytil. Not to mention, Räty will likely play the defensive role, tasked with shutting down the opponent’s toughest competition. This will only hinder his offensive zone time and, thus, his point totals.
But it’s the above expectations column; that should be his expected ceiling coming into 2025-2026.
Below expectations: Fail to hold onto an NHL job, remain and NHL/AHL tweener, fail to hit 20-points.
While we’ve been giving Räty praise, pretty much ensuring he will make the team next season, that’s not a certainty. If the Canucks add more traditional centreman and can’t find a suitor for Blueger, that might push Räty back, and now he’s competing with Linus Karlsson, Max Sasson and Arshdeep Bains for a roster spot.
As we mentioned above, who knows the extent of the Räty injury? Is that something that is affecting his offseason training? Will he be ready for camp, just like he was last year? If he does remain an NHL/AHL tweener, then it’s likely Räty will have similar point totals to last season, with a similar number of games.
Now, this author does expect Räty to be on the team to start the season. But there are some unknowns surrounding his situation, which could result in him not becoming a full NHL player and ultimately would fail to hit the 20-point plateau.
2025-2026 goals for Räty:
– Earn and maintain his spot in the NHL.
– Continue his faceoff success.
– Hit the 30-point mark.
– Find value in a penalty-killing role.
– Continue to build chemistry from last year’s training camp with Nils Höglander.
With Pius Suter out the door, that opens up a spot for a centre on the team’s penalty kill. If the 22-year-old is in the lineup, given how crucial faceoffs are, and his defensive game, Räty would likely earn that role. But it should be his goal to hold onto that job.
His faceoffs shouldn’t be an issue. Räty has had a 62.5% and a 57.5% faceoff percentage in his two seasons in Vancouver, respectively. But what would make Räty’s transition to the NHL even better would be if he were paired up with Nils Höglander again.
In last year’s training camp, Räty centred a line with Höglander and Garland, and they turned heads. With Garland likely graduating to the top-six, Räty and Höglander would be paired together on that third line. If the two can pick up where they left off last year, with another season of development under Räty’s belt, and Höglander’s late-season surge, it could help form Räty’s offensive game at the NHL level.
What do you think, Canucks fans? What will it take for Aatu Räty to make the full-time jump to the NHL?
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