Räty is a fine offensive player but he recognizes his defensive responsibilities very well. He anticipates plays and is quick to forecheck opponents in the defensive zone. He understands when to make a touch-and-go play and when to be patient with the puck.

The Finn’s skating is fine but it is his mind that stands out from his game. He thinks plays ahead and positions himself well. Räty has strong strides and he gets to his top speed effectively. There’s still room for improvement in that area, though. He made a couple of nifty plays to create extra space and scoring chances. He did it with quick passes and faking moves with his body.

Räty’s skating abilities are well-rounded and his straight line speed stands out. His passing is solid in the offensive zone, but his passing during high speed plays could be more precise and effective. In conclusion, his transition game could be improved. He flashed his quick and crafty stickhandling at high speeds, though.

Aatu Räty played in Kärpät’s third line and finished the game with one goal in the scoresheet. Though that goal was an empty-netter, he worked hard for it starting the whole sequence by blocking a shot and winning a board battle after that.

Räty’s excellent skating showed clearly in today’s game. His first few strides are very explosive and he can outskate most of the opponents in the U20 level. What he seems to be still lacking is some straightforwardness and determination in scoring situations. He often ended up trying the more complicated solution.

Räty is measured at 184 cm / 6’0″, but he looked a bit bigger on the ice comparing to his teammates. His physical game has clearly improved and he won most of the physical battles he was involved in.

While he remains as one of the most interesting prospects of his age group, I left the game expecting a bit better performance from him.

Centering Finland’s second line for the fourth time in the tournament, Räty was definitely one of Finland’s best forwards in the game. He scored two rebound goals with his backhand in the first period, scored in the shootout and was constantly dangerous in the offensive zone, generating many shot attempts for him and his linemates.

Räty’s strong skating ability ables him to be a great puck transporter in the neutral zone. He had also one excellent sequence in the overtime, where he set up a fantastic scoring opportunity for his linemate with his skating and skill. Räty also has a very strong work ethic, as he forechecks relentlessly and applies constant pressure to the opposing defenders. He also was quite physical and finished most of his checks.

Räty was centering Finland’s second line and was featured on the top power play unit in Finland’s 2-1 win over Russia at the U17 World Hockey Challenge. One of the youngest players on the ice, his performance wasn’t spectacular but he was still able to showcase an intriguing offensive skill set.

Räty is a strong skater with a powerful stride and explosive first few steps. In a couple of instances, he showed high-end hands and puck-handling ability. Räty was constantly aggressively looking for opportunities to shoot, but for the most part, his attempts were blocked by the opposing players. I really like that he was regularly driving the play and carrying the puck in the neutral zone.

Räty still has work to do with refining his overall play. He has the skating to be somewhat effective on the forecheck and in the defensive zone, but for the majority of the game, he did not accomplish much without the puck. Even though he relies on his skill and skating, Räty already has a solid frame and he looked surprisingly mature physically.

The younger of the Räty brothers, Aatu, played his second game in the U20 league after dominating the U18 circuit at the start of the season.

Despite being four or five years younger than most of his opponents, Räty was very impressive and drove the play continuously and managed to enter the attacking zone with almost 100% efficiency.

He also scored his first career goal in the U20s with a nice wrister from the middle of the slot after a nifty toe-drag move to get past a defender. He also set up multiple good scoring chances to his linemates throughout the game but they weren’t able to convert from those.

What really stands out about him is his skating. He is agile and has good first strides to blow past defenders. He is also capable of quick turnarounds and pace changes, which make him hard to contain, especially when he has very smooth hands as well.

His age shows quite clearly sometimes especially without the puck, but his work ethics seem to be good. Although he is tall, he got sometimes outmuscled by his opponents in front of the net and near the boards.

All in all, it was a very impressive showing from Räty who is definitely one of the most interesting prospects regarding the 2021 NHL draft.

Räty had two really strong games for the U16 national team against Germany. He is an offensively gifted center who excels at setting up scoring chances for his linemates. He had good offensive rhythm and his passing and vision were excellent – knows where his teammates are in order to feed them the puck. He’s a good pass receiver himself, being able to get the puck under control quickly and smoothly. He showed good edge work and acceleration, as well as solid agility. He also used his stick well defensively.

The Kärpät U16 forward will be eligible for the 2021 NHL Draft. A lot can happen development wise until the draft, however, at this point Räty looks like one of the most interesting Finnish prospects in his age-group.