MIKKO KOIVU - Center - 36 - $5.50MM Cap Hit - UFA in 2023-2024
LAST UPDATED 8/20/19
While he's probably the best player ever to spend his whole career (so far) with the Wild, Mikko Koivu isn't what he once was. His 14 years of NHL experience have taken a toll on his body, and this past season was evidence of that, as he only got into 48 games whereas he usually would be good for a full 80+. Now, while his age may have hurt his ability to stay healthy and his ability to drive 5v5 offense, he's still an elite defensive center. Mikko Koivu is an incredibly smart, diligent, and high-character center, and there are few better at being able to consistently shut down whoever he matches up against. Koivu can handle the toughest defensive assignments and his isolated impact numbers bear this out, measuring him as an incredibly valuable defensive stopper. He can still anchor a penalty kill and reliably win faceoffs, making him one of the game's best and criminally underrated defensive talents. The fact that Koivu can still handle an incredibly difficult defensive workload at the age of 36 is astounding. Offensively, Koivu isn't a play driver and doesn't have elite skating or puck skills, but he knows where to be and what to do in the offensive zone, and that ability to be opportunistic paired with his intelligence still allows him to produce well. If he can stay healthy and continue to mitigate the negative impact of his aging, Koivu can still be an elite (defensively), shutdown defensive center.
While he's probably the best player ever to spend his whole career (so far) with the Wild, Mikko Koivu isn't what he once was. His 14 years of NHL experience have taken a toll on his body, and this past season was evidence of that, as he only got into 48 games whereas he usually would be good for a full 80+. Now, while his age may have hurt his ability to stay healthy and his ability to drive 5v5 offense, he's still an elite defensive center. Mikko Koivu is an incredibly smart, diligent, and high-character center, and there are few better at being able to consistently shut down whoever he matches up against. Koivu can handle the toughest defensive assignments and his isolated impact numbers bear this out, measuring him as an incredibly valuable defensive stopper. He can still anchor a penalty kill and reliably win faceoffs, making him one of the game's best and criminally underrated defensive talents. The fact that Koivu can still handle an incredibly difficult defensive workload at the age of 36 is astounding. Offensively, Koivu isn't a play driver and doesn't have elite skating or puck skills, but he knows where to be and what to do in the offensive zone, and that ability to be opportunistic paired with his intelligence still allows him to produce well. If he can stay healthy and continue to mitigate the negative impact of his aging, Koivu can still be an elite (defensively), shutdown defensive center.
Services |
Company |
|