We are back with our 2025 mid-season edition of our CanucksArmy top 20 Vancouver Canucks prospect rankings.

Today, we bring you our 16th-ranked prospect. As always, be sure to check out our Honourable Mentions installment for all of our criteria moving forward.

Here are our rankings so far:

#20 – Lucas Forsell

#19 – Jett Woo

#18 – Parker Alcos

#17 – Josh Bloom

Number 16 is…

Team: Harvard University | Age: 21 | Position: Goalie | Height: 6’4″ | Weight: 201 lbs | Catches: Left | Drafted: Fifth round, 137 overall, 2021 | Last year’s rank: 18

Up two spots from last year and now 16 on our board, we bring you the first goaltender of our CanucksArmy prospect rankings: a 21-year-old Finn who spent his last three years studying and backstopping the goal at Harvard University.

Aku had been jockeying for a position as the Crimson’s starting netminder for two years before this season. Well, this year, he was finally handed the keys to take over as the sole owner of the net, or so we thought.

Beginning the year as the unanimous starter, he enjoyed the first few weeks of uncontested starts. Despite a strong 2-1 start with a shutout and an ECAC Goaltender of the Week Award, his numbers began to dwindle.

That fall in form leads to fewer starts and, eventually, a freshman gunning for that starter’s spot. With just weeks remaining in the schedule, Aku has essentially lost his spot as the unanimous go-to and is now splitting starts and sitting a backseat in the team’s most important matches.

With a strong sophomore season behind him, Aku has a 4-6-1 record with a sub-900 save percentage (.899) and one shutout in 2024-25.

Struggles or not, we’ve often suggested not to pay too close attention to the netminder’s stats. In most cases, his play between the pipes shows better than his numbers on a middling Harvard team would suggest. When it comes to scoring goals, Harvard sits in the bottom echelon of the ECAC Conference, and Aku is typically one of the team’s top players when manning the crease.

He’s tall, athletic, and covers the bottom half of the net very well. However, it’s no secret that the Canucks’ goaltending chart is Jam-packed, with little to no spots up for grabs. And now, with Ty Young very much in the mix, that trickles down to the ECHL level.

While we initially had pencilled him in as probable for professional deployment this spring, the lack of opportunity could sway him to remain in the collegiate circuit. Considering the new transfer rules in NCAA hockey, that could even happen at a new school.

Ceiling: As a fellow Finn, Aku has enjoyed a strong bond with goaltending coach Marko Torenius over the years. While they only work together during Development Camp, the bond paves the way for a solid relationship heading forward. He takes a coachable approach, mixes an athletic build, and provides all the tools for NHL games.

Floor: American League, or return to Europe? That will be the big question for the young Finn. If he sees a viable path toward NHL games in this crowded system, he’ll stay where he would undoubtedly battle as an AHL netminder. Otherwise, he’s certainly capable of holding down a starter role overseas.

ETA: The crowded system certainly complicates matters. With one year of eligibility, there’s a much stronger possibility of him returning to the NCAA than we initially thought. With all the factors in mind, the road is starting to feel like it could be a long one.

That’s our #16 spot. Stay tuned for another installment tomorrow here at CanucksArmy.