The top 20 Montreal Canadiens prospects, as voted by Habs fans, continues with a familiar name, forward Aatos Koivu.

As a reminder, to qualify for our list, Habs prospects must under 24 years old and have fewer than 75 NHL games under their belt.

18. Aatos Koivu, Centre, Shoots Right, 19, TPS/TPS U20, 6’0″, 170 lb. Picked 70th overall in 2024

Few family names evoke a stronger sense of nostalgia in Montreal as Koivu, with most of the memories being tied to a generation of Habs fans who did not witness the endless streams of dynasties from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. For a large swath of Habs fans, Saku Koivu represents the player who fought harder than everyone else to keep the team above water while playing with linemates who were underwhelming to say the least.

It was the driving force behind the chorus of excitement that took place once the Canadiens drafted Aatos Koivu in the third round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. And while there’s always a chance that Aatos will follow in his father Saku’s footsteps, I’d guard against elevated expectations due to his lineage.

Aatos and Saku Koivu

Aatos wears No.9 rather than No.11, but more importantly, his skill set is far from identical to his father’s. He’s a lot more physical, and relies on his solid shot to generate offence, rather than focusing on playmaking. He is a decent skater, but lacks the agility and speed possessed by his father.

He did a great job exploiting open ice in Finland, driving the net with wreckless abandon on most nights, but his hand-eye coordination is far from elite, and he did shy away from driving the net at times in an international setting, as evidenced by his recent game versus James Hagens and the USA. Decision-making tends to be a strength, a result of his intelligence and innate penchant for protecting pucks or retrieving them when facing a defensive situation.

He prefers quick wrist shots or snapshots, but if there’s open ice on the powerplay you will quickly see him transition to his one-timer, which is quite accurate. It’s not particularly quick, but accuracy is the key when attempting to connect on a one-timer, something he did with regularity on the powerplay in Finland.

Update: Koivu scored his classic one-timer goal on Monday afternoon versus Team USA (Blue). Rather than playing as a centre, he is currently serving as Finland’s first-line right wing.

Aatos Koivu scores on the power play to make it 1-0 Finland.

Aron Kiviharju and Leo Tuuva with the assists. #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/J9lsEMZhhp

— Steven Ellis (@SEllisHockey) July 28, 2025

Koivu split time last season between TPS and TPS U-20, connoting a significant step-up in competition between playing in the U-20 league compared to his time in Liiga. He scored two goals and four assists in 12 regular-season U-20 games, while improving his scoring rate to five goals and two assists in five games once the playoffs rolled around.

As for his time in Liiga, usage was certainly a factor, with Koivu mostly spending his time in the bottom six. He finished the year with one goal and seven assists in 32 games. He was also forced to miss almost a month and a half of action due to a bout of mononucleosis.

What’s Next For Montreal Canadiens Prospect Aatos Koivu?

We shouldn’t expect Koivu to land in Montreal any time soon. He will once again play in Liiga next season, a year older and wiser, which should translate to relatively better usage. Maintaining good health will also be key, though we won’t criticize him for missing time with mono. More than anything, it cost him precious experience during an important development season.

The key is Koivu will be playing against older players who possess much more professional hockey experience, a difficult but critical challenge to see if he can improve upon his rookie campaign in Liiga.

Some fans may not love the idea of a prospect developing in Europe, especially since top prospects such as Ivan Demidov and David Reinbacher had a rocky development season while playing overseas, but TPS is high-end hockey organization that has a long history of developing NHL players, and I don’t expect them to mess around with the son of a team legend. We should also note that Saku served as a senior advisor for TPS until 2023-24, and he also owned the team between 2007 and 2022.

As for Aatos’ projection, it’s probably a little too early to get into the nitty-gritty of his NHL potential. Once he completes the upcoming season we will have a much better idea of whether his offensive instincts, which are improving daily, have reached the point where an ascension to the NHL is realistic.

Fortunately, he tends to outwork everyone on the ice, and that gives him a leg up on the competition. If he can improve his skating to the point where it would be a strength, I’d suggest a third-line centre role with the Habs is quite possible.

Previously Published 2025 Montreal Canadiens Prospect Articles:

Canadiens Prospect Rankings: Introduction, 2024 Retrospective

Canadiens Prospect Rankings: The Departed And Traded

Canadiens Prospect Rankings: The Honourable Mentions

Canadiens Prospect Rankings No.20 – Filip Mesar

Canadiens Prospect Rankings No.19 – Luke Tuch

Do you agree or disagree with the Montreal Canadiens prospect rankings?  Let us know in the comments below!