#11 Saku Koivu

Position:	Centre
Shoots:	Left
Height:	5'10"
Weight:	181 lbs
Birth Date:	11/23/1974
Birth Place:	Turku, Finland
Acquired:	NHL Entry Draft
Draft Year:	1993
Draft Round:	1
Overall Choice:	21
Salary:	$4.475.000

Scouting Report

Strengths:	Great playmaking abilities, has good breakaway speed and is a strong leader; he is team captain.
Weaknesses:	Has tended to be injury prone over the years, playing just 2 full seasons in his career.
Projected Role:	1st line centre

Biography

Saku Koivu was drafted by Montreal in the 1st round of 1993 (21st overall). Just 2 years
later, in 1995, he made his NHL debut at the ripe age of 20. He has always been a
consistent point producer, but injuries have set him back on a yearly basis. But Koivu
would’ve preferred any injury to what happened to him in 2002, when he was diagnosed
with cancer. Many wrote his season off, but he managed to return for the final 3 games of
the regular season, and led the Canadiens in playoff scoring. Entering 2004-05, the
Canadiens captain is just 2 points shy of 400 for his career.