Canucks 5th-round draft pick in 2021 emerging as a steal according to experts

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Cooper Godin
August 5, 2024 (11:20)

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Aku Koskenvuo playing for Harvard University.

Photo credit: Harvard Athletics

Vancouver Canucks staff have high hopes for goaltending prospect Aku Koskenvuo, who will be the starter for Harvard University in the fall.

When the Vancouver Canucks selected Aku Koskenvuo in the fifth round in 2021, many weren't sure what to expect when it came to his development path and if he would eventually be an option in the NHL down the road. The 21-year-old has a big season ahead of him and will be the number one guy for Harvard and will have plenty of eyes on him, including those from the Vancouver Canucks organization.

In a recent interview with Kevin Woodley of NHL.com, Vancouver Canucks goaltending development coach Marko Torenius gave his thoughts on Aku Koskenvuo and said that it's an important season for him and if he's able to get more game experience, along with gaining some confidence, the organization will be able to see who he truly is as a netminder.

"They have a lot of similarities in size, athleticism, speed and power," Canucks goaltending development coach Marko Torenius said about Silovs and Koskenvuo. "There's a lot of things."

He added, "It's a really important season coming for him. He's a little bit under the radar but if he is able to get a little more game experience, I think he will also gain some confidence, and you can start to see who he really is."

Vancouver Canucks director of goaltending Ian Clark weighed in on Aku Koskenvuo and said that he has many of the key attributes they look for when drafting a netminder including his size, athleticism and compete.

"He hits 10 out of 10 on a few of them," Clark said. "He has prototypical size (6-foot-4) and a prototypical body for the goaltending position, and the athleticism and compete and all those things I'm always looking for."

Koskenvuo, a native of Espoo, Finland, appeared in 17 games for Harvard University last season where he had a record of 5-6-4 with a 2.95 goals against average, a .910 save percentage and two shutouts.

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5 AOUT \| 161 ANSWERS Canucks 5th-round draft pick in 2021 emerging as a steal according to experts Do you think Aku Koskenvuo should be with Abbotsford in 2025-26?
Yes	107	66.5 %
No	17	10.6 %
Depends on his this season goes for him	37	23 %
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