Player Discussion Aatu Raty

[arttk]

He's honestly looking like a long-term project right now.

People were pencilling him into the 3C role in the NHL next year and frankly he looks nowhere close to that and looks like he'll need substantially more AHL seasoning.

I think the most optimistic projection is NHL the season after next. We need to get an actual 3C next season and not even think about Raty making it

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

Apparently pronounced: Artoo Ratoo

https://twitter.com/AatuRaty

Strangely, his first name is like a weird phonetic/alphanumeric anagram of his last name.

Love the literation of Finnish names.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

He's honestly looking like a long-term project right now.

People were pencilling him into the 3C role in the NHL next year and frankly he looks nowhere close to that and looks like he'll need substantially more AHL seasoning.

Have to agree.

Thought he was much closer, all be it with a low ceiling.

 

[Gstank]

I would give him the rest of the year to adjust and see what he looks like next season. People here were crying about Klimovich last year and now he is above .5PPG in the AHL as a 19 year old.

Im sure we will see a similar thing with Lekkermaki and Raty next season

 

[MS]

Have to agree.

Thought he was much closer, all be it with a low ceiling.

Yeah. The talk that this was some Grade A prospect on the verge of the NHL who was a likely future 2C who could be pencilled into next year's roster as the 3C looks like some pretty misguided wishful thinking.

Based on what I'm seeing right now I'd be shocked if this player is able to play meaningful minutes in the NHL in October. His skating is a major problem and he's having issues keeping with the play at times in the AHL. And his overall intensity and level of physical play is less than I was expecting.

He did have one very good game with several chances, but 1/7 isn't a ratio that moves you up levels.

I would give him the rest of the year to adjust and see what he looks like next season. People here were crying about Klimovich last year and now he is above .5PPG in the AHL as a 19 year old.

Im sure we will see a similar thing with Lekkermaki and Raty next season

Klimovich still isn't some sort of standout prospect.

Obviously nobody is writing Raty off. He's a pretty good prospect who has some things to like and I'm sure he'll provide some better performances in the AHL than he has so far.

But some of the hype at the time of the trade looks over the top. He's further away than many here were thinking.

 

[Hodgy]

Yeah. The talk that this was some Grade A prospect on the verge of the NHL who was a likely future 2C who could be pencilled into next year's roster as the 3C looks like some pretty misguided wishful thinking.

I don’t recall anyone thinking Raty was a “Grade A” prospect other than maybe some fluff stuff put out by Canucks’ management after the trade. I think the consensus was that Raty was a B level prospect. The best asset by far in the Horvat trade was and has always been viewed as the Islander’s first round pick. We simply weren’t going to get two “Grade A” prospects for Horvat. Was never going to happen.

 

[MS]

I don’t recall anyone thinking Raty was a “Grade A” prospect other than maybe some fluff stuff put out by Canucks’ management after the trade. I think the consensus was that Raty was a B level prospect. The best asset by far in the Horvat trade was and has always been viewed as the Islander’s first round pick. We simply weren’t going to get two “Grade A” prospects for Horvat. Was never going to happen.

I called Raty a B prospect when the trade happened and a lot of people here really, really didn't like that take.

 

[Bitz and Bites]

I’d think that in a re-draft Raty would likely move up into the 25-35 range so his value is that of a very late first. Those guys usually end up as bottom sixers or somewhat limited top six wingers which is pretty much where he’s projecting at the moment.
If Raty can grow into a reliable 3C with some offensive ability, that would be a win for us. We haven’t had that since Sutter was healthy and effective and that seems like decades ago now.

 

[Hodgy]

I called Raty a B prospect when the trade happened and a lot of people here really, really didn't like that take.

I honestly don’t recall this. If there were posters calling him an “Grade A” prospect then it was an extreme minority and probably not worth mentioning.

 

[sting101]

Lets ignore all the happenings prior to the trade and go with the 7 games since which has Beauvillier as the best piece of the Horvat deal?

Some situations allow for players to instantly succeed (playing with Pettersson and PP1 or with Barzal on the NYI top line) while others are in a new city new role with new players that don't fluff them and need a bit of time to adjust and find their place. Still remember Horvat in Utica going 5 games without any points.

Sure it would have been nice to see Raty fly out of the gate with Abbotsford but the AHL is a very good league and Hoglander Podkolzin didn't exactly step in and dominate without bigger defensive responsibilities.

Realistic projection should be 3C with linear improvements to his game. He wasnt ready in NY so no reason why he should have been here. Expecting a 3C that can match up next year would be once again setting players up for failure in this organization. I would hope they slow roll him into 4th line minutes and better than Lazar types on his wing.

More interested in his finish than his start in Abby

 

[timw33]

I called Raty a B prospect when the trade happened and a lot of people here really, really didn't like that take.

Anyone using the phrasing "Islanders top prospect" was also taking a very unserious framing of the value too.

 

[sting101]

I honestly don’t recall this. If there were posters calling him an “Grade A” prospect then it was an extreme minority and probably not worth mentioning.

I called Raty a B prospect when the trade happened and a lot of people here really, really didn't like that take.

What defines A vs B. I use it but wouldn't say i know by definition?

i thought A prospects were top9 top4/5 GK1 types that were tracking that way but maybe i'm wrong?

 

[Snatcher Demko]

There's no big rush. I think Allvin is interesting in building a good farm/development system where prospects aren't rushed into the NHL.

Raty can spend 2 more years developing and playing most in the AHL, and we can see what we have. It's early too, there's been a lot of change for the kid in the past year.

 

[MS]

I honestly don’t recall this. If there were posters calling him an “Grade A” prospect then it was an extreme minority and probably not worth mentioning.

I felt like I was slogging through the replies from people disagreeing with my take that he was a B prospect who likely projected as a 3C.

Lets ignore all the happenings prior to the trade and go with the 7 games since which has Beauvillier as the best piece of the Horvat deal?

Some situations allow for players to instantly succeed (playing with Pettersson and PP1 or with Barzal on the NYI top line) while others are in a new city new role with new players that don't fluff them and need a bit of time to adjust and find their place. Still remember Horvat in Utica going 5 games without any points.

Sure it would have been nice to see Raty fly out of the gate with Abbotsford but the AHL is a very good league and Hoglander Podkolzin didn't exactly step in and dominate without bigger defensive responsibilities.

Realistic projection should be 3C with linear improvements to his game. He wasnt ready in NY so no reason why he should have been here. Expecting a 3C that can match up next year would be once again setting players up for failure in this organization. I would hope they slow roll him into 4th line minutes and better than Lazar types on his wing.

More interested in his finish than his start in Abby

I don't really care about the 1 point in 7 games. What I care about is the level of performance I'm seeing.

His skating is a problem. It's below-average, even at the AHL level. He's lagging behind the play and isn't getting to where he needs to be to make plays. Big circles away from the play because he can't stop/start quickly. And while he's 'responsible' tracking the play defensively he's not nearly as aggressive or physical as I expected - not seeing a huge battle level there.

I think there was a hope/expectation that as a guy who put up numbers in a men's league last year and got into 12 NHL games already this year he'd be in the same realm of performance as guys like Podkolzin and Hoglander who are 'in-between' in terms of AHL/NHL and certainly expected to be on the roster in October. Instead he's closer to Bains and Klimovich who are middle-6 AHL types who have some things to like but do not appear to be close to making the NHL and are not expected to be on the team next season.

And of course how he finishes is more important than how he starts. And of course this is still a small sample size. But this doesn't look like a player to me who is close to the NHL or stands a strong chance of being on the roster in October - something that most in the trade thread seemed to be assuming would be the case.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

I honestly don’t recall this. If there were posters calling him an “Grade A” prospect then it was an extreme minority and probably not worth mentioning.

I dont either, but my memory can be crap

 

[VanJack]

If you look at his track record, Raty seems to be a guy who struggles out of the gate in the first season where he makes a step up in competition.

It happened in Finland when the graduated from junior ranks to play his 17-year old draft season in the pro Finnish Liga. It was a disappointment, and his draft stock plummeted. He was far better in his draft-plus one season in the same league.

So he's winding down his first season in N.A. having played games in Bridgeport and Abbotsford, plus a few games in the NHL with the Islanders.

If Raty is still struggling to put up points in the AHL next season.....then the worry beads come out.

 

[MS]

What defines A vs B. I use it but wouldn't say i know by definition?

i thought A prospects were top9 top4/5 GK1 types that were tracking that way but maybe i'm wrong?

I mean, vague thing I guess.

I would use 'A prospect' to refer to top-50/bluechip types who are high likelihoods to play in the NHL in pretty big roles. And I don't know that we have any guys who I would call an 'A prospect' right now - EP2 is probably the closest. Podkolzin if you consider him a prospect still.

Lekkerimaki/Silovs/Klimovich/Bains I'd consider B prospects. Pretty much everyone else I'd consider C prospects.

 

[RobertKron]

If you look at his track record, Raty seems to be a guy who struggles out of the gate in the first season where he makes a step up in competition.

It happened in Finland when the graduated from junior ranks to play his 17-year old draft season in the pro Finnish Liga. It was a disappointment, and his draft stock plummeted. He was far better in his draft-plus one season in the same league.

So he's winding down his first season in N.A. having played games in Bridgeport and Abbotsford, plus a few games in the NHL with the Islanders.

If Raty is still struggling to put up points in the AHL next season.....then the worry beads come out.

The pressure of being the #1C in Abbotsford has probably been getting to him as well.

 

[sting101]

I felt like I was slogging through the replies from people disagreeing with my take that he was a B prospect who likely projected as a 3C.



I don't really care about the 1 point in 7 games. What I care about is the level of performance I'm seeing.

His skating is a problem. It's below-average, even at the AHL level. He's lagging behind the play and isn't getting to where he needs to be to make plays. Big circles away from the play because he can't stop/start quickly. And while he's 'responsible' tracking the play defensively he's not nearly as aggressive or physical as I expected - not seeing a huge battle level there.

I think there was a hope/expectation that as a guy who put up numbers in a men's league last year and got into 12 NHL games already this year he'd be in the same realm of performance as guys like Podkolzin and Hoglander who are 'in-between' in terms of AHL/NHL and certainly expected to be on the roster in October. Instead he's closer to Bains and Klimovich who are middle-6 AHL types who have some things to like but do not appear to be close to making the NHL and are not expected to be on the team next season.

And of course how he finishes is more important than how he starts. And of course this is still a small sample size. But this doesn't look like a player to me who is close to the NHL or stands a strong chance of being on the roster in October - something that most in the trade thread seemed to be assuming would be the case.

appreciate the response i know you watch Abby closely and i defer to your viewings and trust your player opinions.

It's honestly a bit strange to me. i've watched him a few times and even in the NHL he looked like he tracked decently. You dont make a NHL team that is pretty deep without keeping up but can appreciate the Islanders play style may have sheltered his movement somewhat. Islander fans that followed him seemed pretty pissed off they moved him and that wouldn't be the case if he was just meh in Bridgeport and long island.

I guess i'm just trying to give him a fair adjustment period before we make too many conclusions not pretend i've seen more than you have. Hope he works out because a good 6'2" 3C thats cost controlled would be huge. I think we all agree on that

 

[racerjoe]

I think some just thought it was too hard to say he topped out as a 3C. I think that was the push back but I could be wrong.

I just wanted to say as someone who really hasn't watched him much and hasn't seen much of him in Abby, I appreciate all the talk about him, its helpful in understanding where he is and what he could be.

 

[Yultron]

I’m not going to look into things to closely either. Im encouraged tho that Colliton is the right coach for him especially after the progression that Klimovich has made and I anticipate that Raty will flourish next season .

He’s obviously not getting as much Ice time here as he was with the islanders farm team so I’m willing to give him some time to develop in Abby

It’s not like we are going to be Stanley Cup Contenders next season

 

[MS]

The pressure of being the #1C in Abbotsford has probably been getting to him as well.

He's the 2C in Abbotsford. The #1 C is Justin Dowling.

The lines right now are :

Karlsson-Dowling-Hoglander
Rau-Ratu-Nielsen
Bains-Wouters-Klimovich
Gatcomb-Alfaro-Arsenault

2nd and 3rd lines see basically the same TOI at ES.

appreciate the response i know you watch Abby closely and i defer to your viewings and trust your player opinions.

It's honestly a bit strange to me. i've watched him a few times and even in the NHL he looked like he tracked decently. You dont make a NHL team that is pretty deep without keeping up but can appreciate the Islanders play style may have sheltered his movement somewhat. Islander fans that followed him seemed pretty pissed off they moved him and that wouldn't be the case if he was just meh in Bridgeport and long island.

I guess i'm just trying to give him a fair adjustment period before we make too many conclusions not pretend i've seen more than you have. Hope he works out because a good 6'2" 3C thats cost controlled would be huge. I think we all agree on that

I dunno. I saw two of his NHL games and you could see the skating was meh but I thought he looked pretty physical and high-motor.

I've been a bit disappointed in how passive he's looked so far. You can see he's diligent defensively but in 7 games I haven't seen him throw a hard hit or really get on guys to force turnovers (ie. a guy like Dakota Joshua is a bad skater but really gets in well on the forecheck and makes a nuisance of himself). He's just kind of been ... there.

And to be clear : I'm not saying he won't be a 3C or whatever. And I'm not saying he's a bad prospect. I'm just pumping the brakes big-time on the assumptions from the time of the trade that he was likely going to be on the NHL roster last year and would be quickly tracking to be the 3C here.

 

[The Iron Goalie]

He's the 2C in Abbotsford. The #1 C is Justin Dowling.

The lines right now are :

Karlsson-Dowling-Hoglander
Rau-Ratu-Nielsen
Bains-Wouters-Klimovich
Gatcomb-Alfaro-Arsenault

2nd and 3rd lines see basically the same TOI at ES.



I dunno. I saw two of his NHL games and you could see the skating was meh but I thought he looked pretty physical and high-motor.

I've been a bit disappointed in how passive he's looked so far. You can see he's diligent defensively but in 7 games I haven't seen him throw a hard hit or really get on guys to force turnovers (ie. a guy like Dakota Joshua is a bad skater but really gets in well on the forecheck and makes a nuisance of himself). He's just kind of been ... there.

And to be clear : I'm not saying he won't be a 3C or whatever. And I'm not saying he's a bad prospect. I'm just pumping the brakes big-time on the assumptions from the time of the trade that he was likely going to be on the NHL roster last year and would be quickly tracking to be the 3C here.

Agreed. He definitely needs another full season in Abby, and that's OK.

 

[Nucker101]

He’s the side piece in this deal, you’d hope the prospect they draft with the Isles pick is a tier above Raty

 

[Icebreakers]

Players with his size always take a long time to figure it out.