With the 122nd pick of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the Minnesota Wild have selected Aron Kiviharju from HIFK of Liiga
About Aron Kiviharju
Aron Kiviharju essentially played no hockey during his draft year aside from the U18 World Championship where he had three assists in five games. Seen as one of the best defensive prospects entering the 2024 class, it’s a shame that he played so little. While he is undersized for a defenseman at 5-foot-10, 165 pounds, he certainly doesn’t let that deter him. He is both intelligent and very sound at both ends of the ice, also possessing the vision to be a hyperactive defender at a professional level.
Related: 2024 NHL Draft: Live Tracker
Kiviharju only played seven games in 2023-24 in Liiga, and it was unfortunately a struggle for him. However, he didn’t have the time to enhance his play. With time, which young defensemen like himself need anyway, there is a world out there where he can become a high-end top-four defenseman. His skillset inspires that he can accomplish this.
THW Prospect Profile Excerpt
“The first thing that stands out about Kiviharju is his skating. I wouldn’t call him a burner by any stretch, but he is a smooth and patient skater. He uses that skating to move the puck through the neutral zone in transition, something modern-day NHL defensemen need to have in their repertoire to succeed.
“Another thing that stands out about Kiviharju’s game is his passing. He can stretch the ice with breakout passes from the defensive zone, but he also uses his passing ability well in the offensive zone to help set up quality scoring chances. Part of that passing ability comes from Kiviharju’s smarts. He won’t force a pass if it’s not there, but when he finds an opening, the pass is usually on the tape. If it isn’t, that’s where he’ll use his skating to move the puck in transition.
Related: 2024 NHL Draft Guide
“Kiviharju is also a shifty and deceptive stickhandler, perhaps an underrated one at that. He will use his stickhandling when skating out of the defensive zone to pull oncoming forecheckers out of position, or he’ll use it to create space for himself in the offensive zone when there might not be much space available.
Full player profile can be found here.
How This Affects the Wild’s Plans
The draft-day fall of Kiviharju is finally over. Late in the fourth round, the Wild arguably got one of the biggest projectable steals in the class. Combined with Zeev Buium, they got two very solid defensemen in the 2024 NHL Draft, albeit somewhat undersized. With Brock Faber in the system and having an elite offense, Minnesota is in an incredible spot. Draft-day winners and losers don’t tend to hold up, but it is looking like the Wild are one of the big winners. Kiviharju was absolutely sensational value, given the fact that very few people—if anyone—had him below a second-round grade.