How Aatu Räty unlocked his game and made the Vancouver Canucks

If you were to jump in a time-travel-equipped DeLorean and return to 2019, most hockey fans would be shocked to find that top prospect and potential 2021 lottery pick, Aatu Räty, ended up a low, second-round pick in his draft year.

Once one of the highest-regarded prospects in hockey, the Finnish product has been part of the sport’s consciousness since he was just a child. An exceptionally productive player who constantly competed and succeeded against older competition, Räty seemed to be set on a path to greatness.

Nothing is ever certain.

After a disappointing draft year at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Räty’s Liiga production cratered. Talent evaluators saw a player who lacked a projectable identity, zeroing in on his deficient skating and poor work rate as significant issues. His d