LD Aron Kiviharju - TPS, FIN JRS (2024 Draft)

[ijuka]

Yeah, he's definitely playing PK, which is an interesting decision. Personally, I'd much rather have him on PP than PK, but I guess HIFK PP has been working quite well.

For 5v5, his advanced stats look very good with everything considered. Second on the team in cf% after Lehterä who's just about the best player in Liiga. Also, interestingly enough, has more defensive zone starts than offensive ones. Of course, doesn't mean much after 2 games.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I’ve never gotten the view he’s bad defensively either. He should be on the PP, and I understand why you wouldn’t want a small defensemen his age on the PK, but for a smaller defenseman, he’s one of them that can also play the PK.

 

[Esko6]

It can work out, but usually having young players playing roles that are their weak spot instead of having them improve their strengths just leads to players who do not excel at anything. I think he has been pretty good, but for his future it would be best to let him play a more offensive role.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

Dragging him in the third pairing with bad minutes does a disservice to everyone involved.

 

[Albatros]

Dragging him in the third pairing with bad minutes does a disservice to everyone involved.

He'll need to prove he's better than others if he wants more.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

He'll need to prove he's better than others if he wants more.

Or or or or or or....... wait, he could be playing big minutes in juniors. Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?

Maybe I'm wrong and he'll benefit from playing 10 minutes a night in Liiga. Who knows.

 

[Albatros]

Or or or or or or....... wait, he could be playing big minutes in juniors. Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?

Maybe I'm wrong and he'll benefit from playing 10 minutes a night in Liiga. Who knows.

Sure, but he chose to join a Liiga powerhouse for the season so it's not like he didn't know what it entails.

 

[Jukurit]

Or or or or or or....... wait, he could be playing big minutes in juniors. Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?

Maybe I'm wrong and he'll benefit from playing 10 minutes a night in Liiga. Who knows.

Hasn't he been playing big minutes in juniors for past 2 seasons? Seems pretty dumb to go back there. Kiviharju is good enough to play in Liiga so that's where he should be playing. It's only 3 games. I'm sure he will get more ice time later once Peltonen learns to trust him.

 

[Nabrules]

Obviously let’s see how the season plays out but haven’t really seen too much progression in his game since being impressed with his play when he was 15. Stagnation if the worst sign of a prospect.

Becuase of the I think he’ll end up being another Raty, Lambert .

 

[LeProspector]

shout out to everyone that called bullshit On him before now. Looking right I think

 

[Jukurit]

Anybody else think that Kiviharju reminds them of Ville Heinola?

I think this clip from today's HPK game shows Kiviharju's (33 white) weaknesses pretty well. Small and slow. Struggles to contain HPK player. Leads to a goal against.

 

[Albatros]

Both defenders look pretty lost there, not sure they should play two juniors together.

 

[bigdog16]

Obviously let’s see how the season plays out but haven’t really seen too much progression in his game since being impressed with his play when he was 15. Stagnation if the worst sign of a prospect.

Becuase of the I think he’ll end up being another Raty, Lambert .

Don't say it too loudly or the pitchforks start coming out

shout out to everyone that called bullshit On him before now. Looking right I think

There are a couple people here who have been awfully quiet.......

 

[vildurson]

Anybody else think that Kiviharju reminds them of Ville Heinola?

I think this clip from today's HPK game shows Kiviharju's (33 white) weaknesses pretty well. Small and slow. Struggles to contain HPK player. Leads to a goal against.

I was actually thinking earlier that Heinola might be a comparable if he does not develop well. Similar weaknesses and smaller guys. So you are not alone.

I still think Heinola should be able to play in NHL and he is just mishandled in WPG.

Out of fellow Finnish prospects right now, I like Konsta Helenius(center, Jukurit) the most right now(around 10-15 rangeish for me rn).

Kiviharju feels like late first/early second pick right now.

But I also hate how he is being deployed in HIFK right now. He should have some veteran presence with his side and he should probably not play penalty kill right now.

 

[bebl]

Anybody else think that Kiviharju reminds them of Ville Heinola?

I think this clip from today's HPK game shows Kiviharju's (33 white) weaknesses pretty well. Small and slow. Struggles to contain HPK player. Leads to a goal against.

That is Salin's goal

 

[LOFIN]

Ironically, probably would've been better had he stayed in Turku. Miettinen is not shy with the offensive game, and we could use another puck moving defensman. Hell, Kiviharju could be our #1 in that regard.

 

[Dirtyf1ghter]

Having long admired his career, I am in the process of giving up on him.

Like Mikko Kokkonen and Ville Heinola...

Very worrying progression curve.

 

[DoingItCoolKiwi]

Haven't seen any signs of improvement this so far this season. Starting to look like another one who'll fall from elite status to late 1st.

Feels like more guys should make an immediate move to Sweden or Canada when they are too good for Finnish Jrs but struggle to earn minutes in Liiga. Or alternatively Finnish Hockey Association should try to jumpstart some kind of Nordic Jr league that would improve level of u20 play available

 

[Albatros]

All Finnish prospects that have been drafted out of Swedish or Canadian juniors so far have been underwhelming, and there have been quite a few especially from Canada. With the possible exception of Olli Määttä who is a solid NHLer at least, but even he didn't exactly turn out to be the future of Finnish hockey.

 

[FinPanda]

All Finnish prospects that have been drafted out of Swedish or Canadian juniors so far have been underwhelming, and there have been quite a few especially from Canada. With the possible exception of Olli Määttä who is a solid NHLer at least, but even he didn't exactly turn out to be the future of Finnish hockey.

Määttä's problem wasn't exactly hockey related before the cancer diagnosis, even though he wasn't the best skater. Who knows how Määttä would've ended up being without the cancer. Solid NHL'er anyways.

 

[ijuka]

Very effective at u-20 juniors and international u-18s, in Liiga not much...

Yeah, seems like the jump from u-20s to Liiga is a bit of an issue. Probably Mestis would be a better route for these player.

At least in Liiga he really isn't able to play to his strengths at all. His play has been fine but hardly remarkable. And even the things he's best at haven't been that effective.

Would probably be a better use of the time to play in a less physically demanding league for this year and perhaps even the next so that his strengths remain strengths. A power play specialist receiving no power play time for 2 years can't be very helpful.

 

[Garl]

Kinda similar to Michkov in a sense that a dominant junior player can't play effectively in adult league right away.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Kinda similar to Michkov in a sense that a dominant junior player can't play effectively in adult league right away.

You're trolling

 

[Garl]

You're trolling

Michkov got demoted from the main team to a farm, where he got a role that suited him better. If he stayed in SKA his statline for the season would be smth like 30 games 2 goals 1 assist 3 points.

 

[mistaclick]

Michkov got demoted from the main team to a farm, where he got a role that suited him better. If he stayed in SKA his statline for the season would be smth like 30 games 2 goals 1 assist 3 points.

He had 20 points in 27 KHL games last year and 5 in 4 games so far this year. It’s more about the opportunities given, depends on your team. Michkov can certainly play effectively in an adult league. For an undersized teenage dman in Kiviharju, maybe he can’t keep up in Liiga, Mestis would be better. But not similar to Michkov