Aron Kiviharju 2024 NHL Draft Profile

It’s that time of the year for The Win Column’s NHL Draft Rankings and Draft Profiles! Today, we are going to look at the 22nd-ranked player in the TWC consolidated 2024 NHL Draft rankings. The 2024 NHL Draft will take place on June 28 and 29 at The Sphere in Las Vegas.

Who is Aron Kiviharju?

Player	Position	Handedness	Height	Weight
Aron Kiviharju	D	Left	5’10”	165 lbs

Aron Kiviharju’s on-ice production

Year	Draft Relative	League	Team	GP	G	A	P
2021-22	D-2	U18 SM-sarja	TPS U18	4	2	2	4
		U20 SM-sarja	TPS U20	35	7	23	30
		WJC-18	Finland U18	6	0	6	6
		International-Jr	Finland U16	5	2	6	8
		International-Jr	Finland U18	8	0	7	7
2022-23	D-1	U20 SM-sarja	TPS U20	22	2	18	20
		Liiga	TPS	21	0	3	3
		WJC-18	Finland U18	5	0	7	7
		International-Jr	Finland U18	17	3	16	19
		International-Jr	Finland U20	4	0	2	2
2023-24	D+0	Liiga	HIFK	7	1	1	2
		International-Jr	Finland U20	6	0	2	2

Kiviharju has been a much-talked-about draft prospect for several seasons. Not too long ago, he was seen as a top-five pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Some scouts still believe he has top-pairing potential, but his 2023–24 season has been stalled by injury.

Kiviharju only got into seven games this season with HIFK in the Liiga before sustaining an injury in training. HIFK didn’t announce what injury Kiviharju sustained other than to say Kiviharju would require surgery. It sounds like Kiviharju will be back for the upcoming U18 World Championships, which is great news. For a guy who was once highly touted in this draft, the Worlds provides Kiviharju with a chance to showcase himself to scouts who haven’t been able to watch him since October.

In 2022–23, Kiviharju played 21 games in the Liiga with TPS, notching three assists. With the U18 World’s, Kiviharju added seven assists in five games, which was second on Team Finland (and one point ahead of fellow 2024 prospect Konsta Helenius).

Kiviharju really impressed with the U18 Worlds in 2021–22, when he was tied for third in Finnish team scoring, despite being one or two years younger than others in the tournament. Kiviharju is definitely more of a distributor than a shooter.

Kiviharju’s strengths

Passing

Kiviharju can make fantastic outlet passes that almost always end up right on his teammates’ tape. This aligns with his high hockey sense, where he can anticipate plays and put his teammates in situations where they can succeed.

Walking the blueline (skating)

A recent trend in the NHL is smaller defencemen who have mastered the ability to walk the line to keep passing lanes open. Lane Hutson is a fantastic comparable in this sense. Both have smooth strides that can help them effectively move the puck up the ice or on the blueline in the offensive zone. I would say Hutson is a bit of a better skater, but skating is still a strength for Kiviharju.

Hockey sense

One thing that is very apparent when watching Kiviharju is his hockey sense, or IQ. This is his biggest strength. He thinks the game in a very advanced way, anticipating plays before they occur. He can process the same at a level above the opposition and his own teammates. This allows Kiviharju to be effective in both the rush and transitional games.

Kiviharju’s areas of improvement

Defensive game

Kiviharju has been effective in zone defence but struggles in man-on-man situations. He relies heavily on his stick rather than his body, which can lead to him being beat in certain situations. The compete level in the defensive zone can be questionable at times.

Size

Kiviharju is a smaller defenceman at 5’10”, 165 lbs, but he does play bigger than his size would suggest. Still, adding to his frame would only give Kiviharju a greater chance of success to make the NHL. If he wants to be a successful defenceman in the NHL, he will have to learn how to use his size effectively and create a physical game.

Kiviharju’s Comparables

I mentioned Lane Hutson earlier, but another comparison is Scott Perunovich in St. Louis. He’s just beginning to transition to playing full-time minutes with the Blues but has earned first-unit power play duties. Both Kiviharju and Perunovich are similar in that they are undersized players who can transition the puck well and are good distributors. At this moment, Kiviharju has a larger ceiling than Perunovich.

Fit with the Flames

The Flames have a lack of top-tier defensive prospects. As the 22nd-ranked prospect in our consolidated rankings, Kiviharju might be a player who falls into the territory of the Calgary Flames’ second first-round pick in this coming draft. If the Flames do take a shot on Kiviharju, he immediately has the highest ceiling out of any defensive prospect currently in their system, by far.

Summary

Aron Kiviharju is a massive wild card heading into the 2024 NHL Draft. A once-projected top-five pick who has been hampered by injury troubles, Kiviharju will have a chance to showcase himself at the upcoming U18 World Championships. Kiviharju is a smaller defenceman who can comfortably translate the puck up the ice by way of passing or skating it up himself. Kiviharju’s best trait is his hockey sense. He will be a risky pick due to injury, but he still has massive potential if he hits.

Risk: 3/5

Reward: 4.5/5

Projection: Top-four, first unit power play defenceman

Check out all of The Win Column’s individual player profiles of selected 2024 NHL Draft prospects:

James JohnsonApril 21, 2024

3 minutes read