Islanders select 3rd-ranked European skater Aatu Raty with 52nd pick

The New York Islanders drafted forward Aatu Raty with the 52nd overall selection in the 2021 NHL Draft.

Aatu Raty

Position: Center
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 181 lbs
Age: 18
Club: Karpat (Liiga)
Nationality: Finland

(Stats source: EliteProspects.com)

Raty was once considered to be among the top prospects available in 2021, but a down year hurt his stock. Nevertheless, he was still ranked third among all European skaters by NHL Central Scouting entering the draft.

He posted dominant numbers as he rose through the ranks of the Finnish junior system, but his offensive production has slowed since 2019-20. Raty should still feature prominently for Finland at the 2022 world juniors and has plenty of time to rediscover the form that had many believing he should've been a lottery pick.

What they're saying

"I've seen enough over the years to still believe in the player, but it's fair to say I approach him with a large degree of caution," said The Athletic's Corey Pronman in his final draft rankings.

"He has skill in his game. He has quick-twitch hands and is great at handling the puck in small areas. He's a fine, albeit awkward, skater who makes skilled plays on the move but needs to add more pace to his game. His playmaking and shot are both solid quality, but neither are spectacular. He has some physicality to his game and brings energy to shifts."

Highlights