NHL Rumors: Canucks Refused To Trade Young Forward Despite Interest
Multiple teams checked in on the 22-year-old center, but according to Sportsnet 650’s Satiar Shah, general manager Patrik Allvin and his staff were “reluctant to part” with the promising Finnish forward. Vancouver instead signed Raty to a two-year extension before free agency opened.
Just looking at Aatu Räty. A 6'2" centre who has developed an edge to his game. Won 58% of his faceoffs in 33 NHL games last season and started to show a scoring touch that many thought was there when he was drafted. I think there's reason to be bullish on his future. #Canucks
— JABO Vancouver (@jabo_vancouver) September 9, 2025
Why Vancouver Values Raty
Raty is coming off a productive season split between Abbotsford and Vancouver, posting 24 goals and showing major strides in faceoff efficiency and two-way play. His size, work ethic, and development trajectory make him a natural fit for the Canucks’ bottom six now, with the potential to grow into a second-line center down the road.
Given Vancouver’s thin center depth behind Elias Pettersson and Filip Chytil, holding onto Raty makes sense both for the present lineup and for the future.
It is unlikely Canucks will be able to find another center one, so we should expect 13-15 minutes for Aatu Raty. His figures per 60 in 33 games were auspicious. Accordingly, the answer to the question of whether we can expect a breakthrough season from Aatu is yes#Canucks pic.twitter.com/pxaQLe4i4v
— Benchrates (@benchrates) September 7, 2025
"Something I learned is how high the Canucks are on Aatu Räty... I had heard the Canucks were pretty reluctant to part with him."@danriccio_ and @SatiarShah were back on #Canucks Central and had the latest on what did (and didn't) happen over the summer!
— Sportsnet 650 (@Sportsnet650) September 8, 2025
Looking Ahead to 2025–26
Raty will enter training camp with a strong chance of cracking the opening-night roster, especially with his waiver status changing this year. The Canucks expect him to compete for a third-line role and potentially log minutes on the penalty kill.
With a new contract in place and management unwilling to move him in trade talks, Raty looks set to become a key piece in Vancouver’s long-term plans.
Photo Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
