Chicago Blackhawks Acquire 23-Year Old Goal Scoring Fin From Utah Hockey Club
Photo credit: Second City Hockey
The Chicago Blackhawks didn't make any blockbuster trades this year but instead added to their ancillary ranks, and one of those players is Finnish forward Aku Raty.
Raty was acquired in the trade which saw the Blackhawks add Shea Weber's contract and defenseman Victor Soderstrom.
Of course, there are hockey trades that will affect the big club, and this trade was about the future of the Blackhawks organization.
Raty is a 23-year-old Finnish forward who was drafted 151st overall in the 5th round of the 2019 NHL Draft.
He'd turn pro during the 2023-2024 season which saw him spend the entirety of the season with the Tuscon Roadrunners. Where he'd put up 44 points in 55 games.
This season he'd play 50 games for the Roadrunners, the AHL affiliate for the HC, and deliver less than expected production this year, only 19 points.
As it stands now, Raty has played only one NHL game during his entire professional hockey career with the Arizona Coyotes/Utah HC organization.
Now, he might have a better shot at cracking the lineup in a place like Chicago, given how the ranks are fluctuating right now.
Raty is a pending RFA for the Blackhawks, which means his rights will be retained by Chicago as long as they tender him a qualifying offer.
It's difficult to see where the former fifth-round pick will end up in Chicago's system, given his entire career has been spent in the AHL.
But if he can score like he did in 2023-2024, there's a chance he could crack the NHL lineup as a depth piece.
The Blackhawks' depth chart is really deep though, as prospects continue to trickle in into the lineup year-by-year.
Raty makes $892K AAV and his contract will expire at the end of the 2024-2025 season.
According to PuckPedia he is currently arbitration eligible, and his qualifying offer will have to be at least $874K AAV from the Chicago Blackhawks.
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