Aatos Koivu is a prospect with top-6 potential, according to Grant McCagg

Michaël Petit
Aatos Koivu is a prospect with top-6 potential, according to Grant McCagg
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The Montreal Canadiens have a very strong pool of prospects, both on offense and defense.

With so many young players still not playing for the big club, it's easy to overlook a few of them.

Of course, we'll be talking more about players like Michael Hage, Alexander Zharovsky, and David Reinbacher, because they address the team's current needs (forwards with top-6 potential and a well-rounded right-handed defenseman).

However, there are other prospects who get less attention but could be interesting, such as L.J. Mooney or Bryce Pickford.

In his most recent HabsCast, Grant McCagg believes there's a forgotten prospect with top-six potential: Aatos Koivu.

Koivu will never be an elite NHL player, but he certainly has some strengths in his game.

First, he's a good skater and knows how to score goals in a variety of ways. Plus, he's a pretty well-rounded player, without necessarily being a Patrice Bergeron on defense.

That said, I think it's a bit of a stretch to say he has top-6 potential.

His style of play is very similar to Owen Beck's or even Kapanen's, but even so, you can't really say he'll be a top-6 player in the future, whether in Montreal or elsewhere.

It'll take some time before he's ready for the NHL—he still seems a long way from being there.

This season in the Liiga, he could establish himself as a second-line player with some time on special teams, but that role is a far cry from a spot on Montreal's roster.

There's too much uncertainty surrounding his development, and betting on the possibility that he'll become a third-line player in the NHL isn't a good idea.

It would be great if he did, but I'd be surprised if he ever did.


In a Nutshell

– Read this.

– Well.

– The Raptors' coach is heaping praise on his star player.

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