| A big player with excellent puckhandling ability ... a finesse player who maneuvers well through heavy traffic ... he is a creative playmaker with a good understanding of the game ... an excellent passer with very good hockey sense ... has a very high overall skill level ... a team player who will sacrifice himself to make the play ... not an overly physical player, but will not shy away from a physical game ... an effective two-way player with an excellent attitude and solid work ethic.
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| Mikko is the brother of Montreal star Saku Koivu, and like Saku, he came through the ranks of Finnish powerhouse TPS Turku, where his father is one of the coaches. Closed out the 1999-00 season on a high with a very strong performance as one of the youngest players on the Finnish squad at the 2000 U-18 World Championships, and entered his draft year as a consensus first round pick. He cracked TPS Turku's senior squad for most of the first half of the 2000-01 season, but struggled with the pace in limited icetime and his stock fell somewhat. Had a disappointing 2001 World Juniors, registering only 3 assists in 7 games and continuing to struggle with his confidence. However, back with the TPS junior squad after the WJC, his performances improved dramatically and he began to dominate at that level. Finished the season with another strong showing at the World U-18s in April, including a brilliant 2G 1A performance vs. the United States on April 14. Entered the 2001 Draft ranked #4 in Europe by CSB, #8 by The Hockey News, and #7 by Redline Report, and was selected #6 overall by Minnesota. |
| At 6'2", Koivu dwarfs his "big" brother Saku, and he's still growing - by the time he gets to the NHL, he'll probably be 6'3"-6'4" and 210-220 lbs. What he does share with his brother, though, is outstanding vision of the ice and hockey sense and playmaking ability unusual for a player a player of his size. Shows tremendous patience with the puck and a real ability to find wingers in good scoring positions. Has a deft passing touch and natural ability to saucer a pass over an opposition defender's stick onto the tape of a teammate. His finishing ability, though, is less impressive. He'll always look for the pass as his first option, and his shot and goalscoring instincts are both somewhat lacking. Seems to clench up around the net - his hands, which are so soft when it comes to passing the puck, seem to turn to stone when he gets it in good scoring positions. The biggest criticism of his game at this point, though, is his skating. He's a somewhat awkward, upright skater who generates limited leg drive and is thus lacking in terms of speed. Isn't overly strong on his skates, either, and is knocked off the puck easier than he should be. The hope is that, as he continues to grow and develop physically, he'll add more leg strength and these problems will dissipate. Defensively, there are very few criticisms - he's a hard-working player who backchecks well and does his best to win battles for the puck, although his lack of strength hurts him in this area as well right now. He's very strong in the faceoff circle and has been a go-to guy on draws for Finnish junior teams. |
| Minnesota fans shouldn't be expecting a Gaborik-like instant impact from Koivu. He's still a tremendously raw player who is likely at least three years away from seeing full-time duty in the NHL. He's a real boom-or-bust proposition - his combination of size and skill give him the upside of being a 70-80 point #1 center, yet his lack of footspeed may limit him from making any real impact at all. The next challenge in his career will be to establish himself against men in the SM-Liiga, a level he had trouble adapting to last season. |