Montreal Canadiens draft Aatos Koivu, Saku Koivu’s son

The Montreal Canadiens made a third-round draft choice today that will be very exciting to its fanbase.

Normally, third-round picks don’t generate a ton of buzz, but that isn’t the case here, as the Canadiens selected Aatos Koivu, the son of franchise icon Saku, at 70th overall.

Avec le 70e choix au total, les Canadiens sélectionnent l’attaquant Aatos Koivu du TPS junior.

With the 70th-overall selection, the Canadiens have drafted forward Aatos Koivu from TPS JR.#GoHabsGo | #RepêchageLNH | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/f85SIUE1jR

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 29, 2024

The Canadiens had shown interest in Koivu before the draft, having interviewed him during the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo earlier this month.

Koivu suited up for 28 games with the TPS U20 in the SM-sarja league in Finland this season, scoring 16 goals and 31 points. He also played in 20 games at the U18 level, registering nine goals and 22 points.

“In addition to having the right habits away from the puck, Koivu has legitimate skill as a shooter,” Elite Prospects 2024 NHL Draft Guide describes Koivu. “It’s not all about the one-timer, though, as Koivu also has a variety of different shot types polished down to a promising level

Saku is beloved by Canadiens fans, having played the first 792 games of his NHL career with them. During that time, he racked up 191 goals and 641 points, while serving as their captain for nine seasons. His 450 assists in a Habs sweater rank seventh all time in franchise history, while his 641 points are tenth.

The Canadiens have now selected four players so far in this year’s draft; Ivan Demidov (5th overall), Michael Hage (21st overall), Koivu (70th overall), and Logan Sawyer (78th overall). They have one pick coming up in the fourth round, two in the fifth, one in the sixth, and two in the seventh.

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