As the Vancouver Canucks wrap up their 2024-25 regular season, a lot of the conversations surrounding the team will shift to the 2025-26 roster. Whether it is through trade or players leaving in free agency, there will be holes in the lineup that need to be filled before October. One player fighting for a spot is Aatu Räty, who is showing that he is ready to make the jump to the NHL full-time.
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This season, Räty has split his time between Vancouver and the Abbotsford Canucks. He has 39 points in 41 AHL games, compared to eight in 28 games at the NHL level. Overall, it has been a successful campaign for the 22-year-old, who is completing his third pro season in North America.
The reason Räty deserves a spot in next season's lineup is the way he has played since being called up. Over the past seven games, Räty has four goals and has won 63% of his 81 faceoffs. He also continues to win his matchups at five-on-five on a nightly basis and is starting to develop some chemistry with Dakota Joshua and Kiefer Sherwood.
Since March 24, Räty has had some of the best offensive analytics at five-on-five. He ranks first in individual high-danger chances created with 10, while his four points sit one back of the team lead. Räty also leads the team in on-ice high-danger scoring chances for per 60 with 16.4 and sits third in on-ice scoring chances for per 60 at 32.8.
What makes Räty's analytics stand out is that he is having success despite playing in the bottom-six. Over the last seven games, he is averaging 12:01 minutes of five-on-five ice time, which ranks ninth among forwards. While Räty may not be ready for a top-six role yet, he is showing that he can be a constant contributor who can play over 12 minutes at five-on-five per game.
As mentioned, Räty has also been fantastic in the faceoff dot since his recall. He has won 69.7% of his 33 defensive zone draws as well as 59.1% of the 22 offensive zone faceoffs he has taken. For a team like the Canucks that sit 23rd overall in faceoff percentage this season, having a player like Räty that can dominate in the faceoff dot is an asset that could come in handy during the 2025-26 season.
