Koivu finished his second full Liiga season with TPS posting nine points in 47 games (a modest improvement in raw total but a step back in rate from the eight he managed in 32 games the year prior) in a league known for suppressing offensive output from young players. At 20, the context matters: playing at the top level of Finnish professional hockey at his age is legitimate development, even if the numbers are thin. The offensive flashes that have surfaced in junior international play – a lethal shot and power play instincts that profile closer to an offensive finisher – have not yet translated consistently to the pro environment. How quickly the production climbs alongside his role on the TPS depth chart will ultimately determine whether Montreal shows interest in him beyond the name recognition that came with the pick. In a prospect pool as stacked as the Canadiens’, that alone will not carry him. A deep-format dynasty watchlist name only.

Through the first 21 games of the 2025-26 season in Liiga, Koivu has six points. He has nearly eclipsed the eight points in 31 games he produced in Liiga over the 2024-25 season, but he still has plenty of work to do to make dynasty fantasy managers make a spot for him on their watch lists. With that said, if he makes the 2026 Finnish World Junior team in a top-six capacity, he could spark a lot of interest by showcasing his shot.

Equipped with a lethal shot, Koivu has unfortunately been unable to use it to his team’s advantage, playing in the top Finnish league in 2024-25, where he scored once in 32 games. He will likely be able to score a bit more in 2025-26, but if he does not, it could mean he is not getting into the right positions to use his shot. Ultimately, that means limited NHL upside, especially in a prospect pool as stacked as Montreal has.

Aatos Koivu was drafted 70th overall by the Montreal Canadiens. His father, Saku, served as captain of the Canadiens for several years.

DRAFTPRO – 2024 7-ROUND CONTRIBUTOR MOCK DRAFT

101. Columbus Blue Jackets – Aatos Koivu, C/RW, TPS U20 (U20 SM-sarja) SUMMARY: Columbus continues the additions of strong, Centerman with offensive instincts. Koivu has NHL lineage with his dad being Saku Koivu and Aatos had a meteoric rise through the Finnish Junior ranks this season. He produced above a point per game pace at both the U18 and U20 levels and even saw some action at the Pro level this year. He is a strong skater with a tremendous shot and could either help supplement down the middle or provide some versatility as he saw action at all three forward positions this year. – Colin Johnson

DRAFTPRO 2024 NHL DRAFT COMBINE REVIEW

Anaerobic Fitness (Wingate Test): Mean Power Output (watts/kg)F Jett Luchanko – 12.9D Alexis Bernier – 12.8F Linus Eriksson – 12.7D Sebastian Soini – 12.7F Aatos Koivu – 12.6

Anaerobic Fitness (Wingate Test): Peak Power Output (watts/kg)F AJ Spellacy – 18.3F Maxim Massé – 18.1F Linus Eriksson – 18.0D Ben Danford – 18.0F Michael Brandsegg-Nygård – 17.9

Anaerobic Fitness (Wingate Test): Fatigue IndexF Oliver Josephson – 35.1F Ondrej Becher – 39.7F Ryder Ritchie – 40.5F Emil Hemming – 40.9F Christian Humphreys – 41.6

Wing Span (inches)F Dean Letourneau – 83.25D Gabriel Eliasson – 81.00D EJ Emery – 80.75D Jesse Pulkkinen – 80.75F Erik Mateiko – 80.25

Body Composition Yuhasz % Body FatD EJ Emery – 3.64D Sam Dickinson – 3.64F Ethan Procyszyn – 6.84F Simon Zether – 7.11G Mikhail Yegorov – 7.11

Force Plate: Vertical Jump (inches)D EJ Emery – 27.23F Jett Luchanko – 24.63D Veeti Vaisanen – 24.22D Will Skahan – 23.88D Stian Solberg – 23.84

Force Plate: Squat Jump (inches)F Jack Pridham – 19.52F Aatos Koivu – 19.08F Linus Eriksson – 18.96D EJ Emery – 18.82F Tij Iginla – 18.38

DRAFTPRO – 2024 IIHF U18 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP REVIEW – FINLAND

#27 Aatos Koivu , F, Finland U18, R, 6’1”, 163, DOB 6.22.2006 Koivu won key faceoffs in the tournament or didn’t lose cleanly. He is a player with good hands and good offensive instincts. He worked the low area in the offensive zone well throughout the tournament. He is a smart player but at times can hesitate or not make a decision and run into trouble. Koivu has a good shot and has a quick release as well. He is responsible in his zone and typically has good body position. Koivu gets in the passing lanes and blocks or deters passes well. At times he can be a bit soft on his stick though and needs to protect the puck against high end players along the wall. He is likely a third round option in the upcoming draft and is likely a solid middle six forward with some offensive capabilities. In the tournament he was effective without the puck and that was good to see as he was not very noticeable offensively.

April 2024 Aatos Koivu is a well-skating center that has had a steep development curve during the season. He is physically quite raw which partly explains why he flew under the radar for so long. Koivu possesses a plus tool in his shot that he likes to fire frequently, especially from the half-wall. He also has a quite good hockey sense especially in the offensive zone where he is good at making himself available as an option to pass the puck to. He can play responsible two-way hockey and he’s already developed some mature habits like good scanning. Anni Karvinen

Aatos Koivu, the son of the former NHLer Saku Koivu, has taken huge steps during the season. The intelligent center started the season with the U18 team but was moved to play in the U20 and has also gotten a couple of Liiga call-ups already. While his physical play needs improving, he possesses a couple of nice tools in his toolkit with his shot and skating. Anni Karvinen