Aron Kiviharju, LD/HIFK
Aron Kiviharju clocks in at just 5’10 and between 165 and 172 lbs and such lack of size means there’s a chance he falls out of the first round. So maybe he will be there when Armstrong is ready to make his second (or third) pick of the draft, as the Blues GM will have multiple second-round selections to make that happen.
But Tankathon’s mock draft has Kiviharju slated to go 23rd overall as of May 1st, so if Armstrong thought highly of him, he needs to take the 18-year-old with that 16th pick or sooner.
Kiviharju is one of a few blueliners on this list who brings prowess to the offensive zone, something he’s shown in international play this season and even last year. He hasn’t reached that productivity in Liiga, but at age 17 and 18, few should expect that. That said, he’s produced exceptionally well against those his own age, clocking in 20 points and two goals in 28 contests over in U20 SM-sarja before putting up seven assists in five games in the World Junior Championship-18 last season.
However, he is an injury-prone player, as Alex Chauvancy of The Hockey Writers points out, and it’s why he played in just a handful of games this past season. But if he can put the injuries behind him, someone’s getting a high-IQ player who can handle pucks like a forward but still provide a sound defensive game.