The Montreal Canadiens drafted a legacy selection with the 70th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. He recorded 16 goals and 31 points in 28 games in Finland's U20 league this season. Koivu did earn a promotion to TPS' Liiga team for four games and also dominated in the U18 league for 20 games. He had nine goals and 13 assists in U18.
A concern for Aatos is his performance at the U18 tournament when he finally played against the other great players from his age group. Koivu had just one assist and 27 penalty minutes in five games. The U20 and U18 leagues in Finland aren't the best judge of talent, so the Canadiens will likely have to see Koivu have some success in Liiga before pulling the trigger on a move to North America.
Aatos is 6 feet, 170 pounds, and finished 27th on NHL Central Scouting's International prospects list. His greatest asset is his skating, but he also has good hands and puck skills that help him get scoring chances. He needs to work on his physicality if he's going to play in North America, but he also isn't afraid to create traffic around the net.
The Canadiens likely felt that their great performance in the first round helped them take a swing here with some NHL bloodlines. Koivu isn't the most sure thing for the Canadiens, but his upside could be huge if he develops a more all-around game in Finland.
Saku Koivu's Legacy
Saku was a Canadien for 13 seasons and was their captain from 1999 to 2009. Fans will remember Saku's battle with cancer before the 2001-02 season, which led to him missing most of the season before heroically making his return with a couple of games left.
He was the first European-born captain in franchise history, and recorded 641 points with the Habs before going to Anaheim. Koivu retired in 2014.