The rebuild of the Utah Hockey Club, formerly the Arizona Coyotes, has brought some talented prospects into the NHL. Logan Cooley, Josh Doan, and Dylan Guenther obviously highlight the group but there are many currently and many to come. With the names above and others drafted high with big expectations like Tij Iginla, Cole Beaudoin, and Dmitry Simashev, it overlooks some of the other prospects who are fighting to make their way into the NHL. However, there might be none as intriguing and underrated as Aku Raty who hasn’t been talked about enough during his past two great seasons.
Raty’s Career So Far
Raty has had some bad luck trying to be in the spotlight. He was drafted in the fifth round back in 2019 by the Coyotes. Funny enough, his brother Aatu received most of the attention as he was drafted in the same draft, 52nd overall by the New York Islanders. Aku played in the Liiga for the next four seasons, not putting up any eye-catching numbers until transferring to Ilves where he broke out with 42 points in 53 games. It was the right time to catch on fire as his exclusive NHL rights with the Coyotes were set to expire at the end of the season. Intrigued with his 42-point season, the team signed him to a two-year, two-way contract.
Coming to the Tucson Roadrunners, Raty was joining a team that had a lot of hype around it. The team was expected to take another step forward in becoming a Calder Cup contender after squeaking into the playoffs in the previous season, and the young Finnish forward was expected to be a part of it but not a main one. Doan and Guenther were set to become the stars on the team along with Michael Kesselring overshadowing Raty. Not to mention, he wasn’t a top-name prospect at the time for the Coyotes.
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However, Raty outperformed any expectations, scoring 44 points in 55 games with the Roadrunners, helping the team make the playoffs. He was rewarded with more playing time and eventually a call-up at the end of the season to the Coyotes. Making his NHL debut against the Edmonton Oilers, Raty had an assist in his first and to date only NHL game. However, his debut was overshadowed by it being the final Coyotes game in franchise history as the team announced the sale of their hockey operations to Ryan Smith the next day who relocated them to Salt Lake City.
Despite all his unfortunate luck of having some of the biggest moments in his career overlooked, Raty has stayed positive through it all. After scoring a hat trick back in December against the San Jose Barracuda, he expressed how much he appreciates playing with the Roadrunners and the people helping him one day become a full-time NHLer.
“I really like it here,” Raty said. “I like the organization. I like the coach and I think he’s great. I like the whole staff too.”
Raty’s Upside
At 23 years old, Raty is one of the older prospects in Utah’s system. However, he is arguably the most developed prospect right now. He is a fast skater which combined with his forechecking skills, makes him an offensive threat every time he’s on the ice.
Raty is also one of the hardest workers on his team. That trait has been said about him by so many people including even before he was drafted in 2019. He’s always aiming to get better and better. Roadrunners coach Steve Potvin loves having him down in Tucson and is thrilled that the Finnish forward is enjoying success.
“He’s just one of those guys that shows up every day and wants to learn and wants to be a part of that,” Potvin said. “He loves putting the gear on and loves being at the arena. We’re really happy to have him, really happy to see him have success. He plays a man’s game for a young kid.”
Raty is also incredibly adaptable and has a good hockey IQ. After finishing his breakout season with Ilves, the forward jumped straight into the American Hockey League (AHL) which like every North American league, has different-sized ice. Due to that, the whole game is played differently compared to Europe. However, it didn’t slow Raty down who enjoyed a successful 2023-24 season with the Roadrunners.
“It’s been fun so far,” Raty said. “The game is a little different but the guys treat me pretty well here. It’s just about getting more comfortable after every game.”
What’s Next for Raty?
Raty will probably be battling for a roster spot until the very end of the preseason. While it wouldn’t be surprising if he gets a spot in Utah’s lineup, it’s more likely that he’ll get sent down to the Roadrunners for another season of development, especially if the team is fully healthy to begin the season.
However, Raty is definitely close to carving out a spot in Utah’s lineup for himself. He impressed head coach Andre Tourigny enough last season to get a roster spot in the Coyotes’ final game and he played well. Most likely, he’ll be the first callup if anyone gets hurt or traded. With veterans like Nick Bjugstad and Alex Kerfoot only having one more year remaining on their contracts, Raty could be in the NHL on a full-time basis by next season.
Even despite most likely playing with the Roadrunners this upcoming season, Raty will be on a competitive team. Players like Maveric Lamoureux and Julian Lutz will be joining the roster helping fill the void that Doan, Guenther, and Kesselring left behind this season. However, this time, Raty will be one of the top guys for Potvin and his team and it wouldn’t be surprising if the young forward has an all-star-level season for the Roadrunners.
