You can make the case that out of the Vancouver Canucks' three forward positions, centre is the most stable one. What we mean by this, is that it's the position which seems most set in respect of the depth chart heading into the 2024-25 regular season.
As things stand, the Canucks' centre depth chart reads as follows: J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson, Pius Suter and Teddy Blueger. (We appreciate Blueger is currently out after undergoing minor surgery but, as we wrote on Tuesday, he is expected to be back and ready for the home opener on Oct. 9.)
However, we would argue that Aatu Räty is making a compelling case to be the fifth centre and 13th overall forward on the roster, when the Canucks begin their regular season versus the Calgary Flames. And yes, this is while acknowledging there's still another five preseason games to go and plenty of time for different players to step up.
Räty has been making himself known during training camp and then in Sunday's scrimmage, specifically while playing in between Nils Höglander and Conor Garland. He's done extremely well and stood out, which is impressive given his linemates have considerably more NHL experience. (He has just 15 games to date, compared to 221 for Höglander and 404 for Garland.)
An intriguing talent
Selected in the second round of the 2021 draft after previously being projected as a high first rounder, Räty has plenty of appealing qualities. He has the size, toughness, talent and two-way game you want in a centre, along with an excellent work ethic.
Of course as much as this combination is intriguing, it doesn't mean much if the 21-year-old can't put it all together on the ice. However, most indications are that he is indeed trending in the right direction.
Last season was Räty's most productive yet as a professional hockey player. Among other things, he had 52 points, a +2 rating and 18 penalty minutes in 72 games for the Abbotsford Canucks. (He added another four points in six playoff games.)
A standout performer versus the Kraken
This momentum from the 2023-24 campaign certainly seems to have carried though, as evidenced by the Finland native's play since the beginning of training camp. Further evidence came on Tuesday night, in the Canucks' first preseason game versus the Seattle Kraken.
Arguably the best example of this, was how Räty performed on faceoffs, when he went 14-for-18. This equated to a 77.8 win percentage, which was significantly higher than the Canucks' overall team faceoff win percentage of just 47.9.
The former New York Islander certainly made the most of his 15:10 minutes of ice time, with three hits and two blocks. He even added an assist on Höglander’s power-play goal which gave the Canucks a 1-0 lead late in the first period, on their way to a 3-1 win.
Räty receives praise from his coach
Again though, it was Räty's work on faceoffs which stood out and you better believe his coach was paying attention. As per David Quadrelli of Canucks Army, Rick Tocchet said postgame: "There were a couple of sequences, we had a couple of penalties, and I put him out on the right side. I thought we were getting killed on the right side, but he went there, and it was three in a row. Boom, boom, boom. I mean, that’s huge. 25 times three, that’s 75 seconds of PK time."
One of the few criticism about the left-hand shot is his skating, which goes back to his days in junior hockey. However, even here Tocchet is happy with what he has seen, as he said: "He just keeps working on his skating and he just keeps playing faster … I don’t think there’s been a day that he hasn’t worked his ass off, like he always got his motor running."
Whether Räty goes on to make the opening night roster or not, is open to question. However, you get the feeling that even if he doesn't, he's going to get his fair share of opportunities at the NHL level as the 2024-25 season progresses.
Certainly it helps, when your coach is singing your praises and is willing to overlook the odd error or two. As Tocchet said: "He’s trying to make the team, and that’s what I’m looking for. He’s just trying to elevate himself. He’s going to make rookie mistakes, but we can live with that if he keeps working."