[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Smurf Edition, Part II):

5'10",165lb LHD Aron Kiviharju has been heavily discussed in the last few years, but I fell in love with him as a player watching him at both the U-18's, and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. I'm usually quite bullish about small defensemen, but I wouldn't blame a team for taking this kid with a first-rounder- he's that good. Kiviharju played in Finland's U20 League at the tender age of 15- and dominated, putting in the best season ever for a player his age in that league, with 30 points in 35 games, which are good totals for a draft-eligible forward, nevermind a 15 year-old, diminutive defenseman. The following season, in 2022-23, he had 20 points in 22 U20 games, but was given time in the Liiga, Finland's top men's league, with 3 points in 21 games- paltry numbers, but he still got good reviews for his play. Last year's U-18 tournament was his second appearance for team Finland, and he wore an "A", finishing 4th in D scoring overall, by putting up 7 assists in 5 games, with 6 of those being primary. He was the second-highest scoring D in the Hlinka, with 6 points in 5 games. His season back home in Finland's Liiga has been limited to 7 games with HIFK, with 2 points, as he's missed most of the year with a knee injury that required surgery.

Kiviharju is an exceptional talent, with dynamic puck-skill, and is elite in most areas of the game. He is highly creative, with IQ and vision that are immeasurable, and he produces hightlight reel play after highlight reel play. Few players can process the game the way AK can- he has hockey sense through the roof, and is always a few steps ahead of everyone else on the ice. He's an amazing playmaker, with uncanny timing, and can see open lanes that nobody else can, and can complete passes most can't see- nevermind connect on. Even when flying at top speed, he can dish accurate, hard passes to teammates through the smallest of holes, and pass over and under sticks, between the feet of attackers, and through layers of traffic. He can hit teammates with saucer passes who are in full flight. Deception and manipulation are near the top of his list of considerable abilities, and help facilitate his playmaking, making him unpredictable and opening space, with fakes in his head and hands, look-offs, toe-drags, and misdirection in the angle of his stick and feet. He can dangle like a forward, and moves through checkers like a ghost.

Kiviharju is a top-tier puck mover, with elite puckhandling and control, and doesn't often get touched when moving through transition. He drives play, and plays with pace. His breakout passes are hard and accurate, and he evades pressure in retrievals, as most forecheckers can't catch him. He doesn't just throw the puck away- he is extremely patient, and he will wait for his teammates to get in position to recieve his pass. He advances the puck under pressure, while side-stepping forecheckers and skating with his head up to survey his surroundings. Kiviharju is calm and composed at all times, poised and mature beyond his years, and confident when carrying the puck. He consistently makes smart decisions with, and without the puck, and knows when to jump into the play, be it off the rush, or off the point. He walks the line like an NHL vet, manipulating lanes and exploiting them, and is the ideal PP quarterback, who can find teammates in high-danger consistently. Patience is one of his virtues, and he will wait for a better play to develop, rather than just dumping it in. His shot is a bit lacklustre, and could use more power, but he uses it as another playmaking tool, punching it on net to create rebound and tip opportunities for teammates. Skating-wise, he has been called elite, but I think there is a percentage of players who could beat him in a straight-line- still, he has high-end mobility, with masterful edges and agility that make him highly elusive. With his low center of gravity, he's actually deceptively hard to knock off the puck.

Defensively, Kiviharju is actually quite competent in his own zone, unlike other diminutive defensemen- there's very few goals scored when he's on the ice, partially because the puck is usually in the other end of the ice, but also because of his anticipatory defensive awareness. He defends well with his stick, using poke checks, blocking shots, clogging lanes, and regularly cutting off plays. He thinks proactively to be in the right place, at the right time to limit the time and space that opponents have to operate in- he's quite good against the rush, and is defensively responsible. With his size deficiencies, he won't win many physical battles, and his stature will always be scrutinized, but it's less of a concern with this player, because he dominates in spite of his size, and has already proven that he can play against men. Only 10 U-16 players have played more than 20 games in the U20 league in a season, and only 4 have played more than 30- Kiviharju being one of them. 30 points in 35 games as a 16 year-old trails only Patrik Laine, and is better than those of Sasha Barkov, Jesse Puljujarvi, and Kasperi Kotkaniemi. Kiviharju needs to get stronger, work on his shot, and perhaps be a bit more selfish, but this is a player who I believe could be a star. I'll be watching to see how his season goes when he's back playing again, but some team might just take this kid in the first.