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VANCOUVER — Aku Koskenvuo played only 17 games as a sophomore at Harvard University last season, so it might be hard to envision the 21-year-old goalie playing a significant role in the Vancouver Canucks crease anytime soon.

However, due to recent history and similarities in strength and style to another Canucks goaltending prospect, it should not be dismissed.

It would have been difficult two years ago to predict that Arturs Silovs, who split 20 games between the American Hockey League and ECHL as a 21-year-old, would become Vancouver’s starting goalie for the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“Silovs and Koskenvuo share many similarities in terms of their size, athleticism, speed, and power,” said Marko Torenius, the goaltending development coach for the Canucks. “There’s quite a lot in common between them.”

These similarities entail not receiving much playing time at 21 years old.

Koskenvuo, who only played two games as a freshman at Harvard in the 2022-23 season, shared starting positions with senior Derek Mullahy last season. He managed to achieve a record of 5-6-4 with a 2.95 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage, and two shutouts. It seems that he is poised to become Harvard’s top goalie this season.

“Torenius emphasized the significance of the upcoming season for him. He pointed out that although he’s somewhat overlooked, gaining more game experience could boost his confidence, thereby revealing his true potential,” he said.

In the 2021 NHL Draft, Vancouver picked Koskenvuo in the fifth round (No. 137). This selection marked him as the second goalie, after Silovs, who was chosen in the sixth round (No. 156) of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Canucks. This occurred after Ian Clark’s return to the Canucks as a goalie coach, now serving as the director of goaltending, following a seven-season stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets. During Clark’s tenure in Columbus, six out of the seven goalies drafted had the chance to play at least one game in the NHL. Koskenvuo demonstrates exceptional skills in some of the seven essential attributes that Clark values.

“Clark stated, “On some occasions, he perfectly scores 10 out of 10. He has the ideal size (6-foot-4) and the perfect physique for a goaltender, along with the athleticism, competitive spirit and other qualities I always seek.”

Koskenvuo has been striving to combine all those components in a more regulated way by mastering the Canucks system for their goalkeepers.

Koskenvuo explains his approach to the game as systematic, playing most situations identically to reduce performance fluctuations. He emphasizes the importance of seemingly minor aspects such as the speed of head movement, the direction of the eyes, and the positioning of the blades. Despite being minor details, he believes they contribute significantly to the overall picture and feels his focus on these aspects has led to considerable improvement.

NCAA rules prevent Torenius from going on the ice with Koskenvuo during the season, but he still flew to Boston once, and they talk every few weeks, reviewing his games on video and sending clips of Canucks No. 1 Thatcher Demko.

“Torenius stated, “He’s beginning to grasp the concept that less is more. He’s learning to trust his body and be more compact. He doesn’t need to be erratic. He’s one of our wild horses, and achieving balance with them is a lengthy process.”

Koskenvuo stated that he has learned a great deal from watching videos of the process that Demko also went through.

“Koskenvuo stated, “I attempted to understand the basics of Demko’s game to incorporate into my own, which has proven useful so far. I appreciate the simplicity of his game, his methodical approach, and his control. But what impresses me most is his ability to deviate from this when necessary and make significant saves.”