The New York Islanders have brought over a very interesting prospect, assigning Aatu Raty to the Bridgeport Islanders of the AHL after his season overseas came to an end.
Raty, 19, was selected with the 52nd pick in 2021, a far fall from where he was once expected to go. As a junior player, some believed he could challenge for the very top of his draft class, but after some poor results in his first taste of Liiga and a development path that appeared stalled, he dropped all the way to the bottom of the second round.
That pick looks brilliant now, as Raty exploded this season in Finland after a move to Jukurit, scoring 13 goals and 40 points in 41 games. Adding in the one point he had for Karpat before the trade has his 41-point season ranked 14th in the entire league, with his point-per-game rate even higher than that. It was a very impressive performance from a player that had so recently been written off–at least somewhat.
The next step will be transitioning that offensive performance to the AHL where things are a lot different, but Raty certainly is back on track to becoming an impact player in North America. Signed to his three-year entry-level deal last August, it will slide this season and keep him under contract through 2024-25.