Player Discussion Jesperi Kotkaniemi - (On Loan to Liiga)

[Habs Halifax]

Leading up to the draft, after player interviews, combines, etc... the media who tried to read who Timmins would take thought it was between Kotkaniemi and Tkachuk. And almost everyone on this forum hated the idea of picking Tkachuk because of his NCAA stats.

Agreed. There was a lot of Tkachuk devalue attempts and most of them won't admit to them being wrong. Remember the "Don't overrate WJC" cause it's a small tournament? Man... what I saw from him at the WJC was someone with the "it" factor.

Imagine if we had solid depth at center before that draft? I bet you we draft Tkachuk.

 

[NotProkofievian]

He ran it from the left side in pori but i dont remember things being very succesful. Seems like ages ago, so i could be wrong.

He did run it from the right side with Kakko on the left side at the u18s, often switching sides and he was a major reason why it was bomb.

You remember correctly. He was 2nd PP unit and would usually be on the left side or left point. But he only had like...2 points or something like that all year. IIRC, the best stuff he did on the PP was when I first noticed him, in his first U18, with Ylönen. And he was playing the right side. And then there was the holy clapper in his 2nd U18. But he's never done it at a high level before.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Someone sounds like they wanted Zadina.

Not sure who you are talking about when you say someone but if you mean me... Zadina was one of many I was high on. Zadina, Tkachuk, Kotkaniemi, Hughes, Dobson were the guys I would have been happy with.

 

[NotProkofievian]

Not sure who you are talking about when you say someone but if you mean me... Zadina was one of many I was high on. Zadina, Tkachuk, Kotkaniemi, Hughes, Dobson were the guys I would have been happy with.

No I mean @Whitesnake .

Wanting a list of guys is chickenshit. You get to pick one, and everyone gets to call you a moron if your pick doesn't beat the field, that's how this works.

 

[26Mats]

Agreed. There was a lot of Tkachuk devalue attempts and most of them won't admit to them being wrong. Remember the "Don't overrate WJC" cause it's a small tournament? Man... what I saw from him at the WJC was someone with the "it" factor.

Imagine if we had solid depth at center before that draft? I bet you we draft Tkachuk.

i still favor us over the Flyers - although now we have to win 3 of the next 4. So, if we are snake bitten twice more like last night, we're out.

Point is, I still favor us not to have the 16th pick. Timmins will have to hit a home run with a late 1st or one of our 3 mid to late 2nds. hard to do. I hope he drafts all D with those picks. Because that's his strong suite.

Struble, Harris, Romanov, Fleury, Mete, Norlinder, Brook, Fairbrother, etc... have always been better prospects than Ylonen, Olofsson, Hillis, Ikonen, Bitten, Vejdemo, Lehkonen, De la rose, etc...

 

[Habs Halifax]

No I mean @Whitesnake .

Wanting a list of guys is chickenshit. You get to pick one, and everyone gets to call you a moron if your pick doesn't beat the field, that's how this works.

Personally, I'll stay chickenshit... thank you very much . Others can go after that one guy. If I had to take one guy right now.... I'd draft Holloway but reserve the right to change my mind before the Draft

 

[Mrb1p]

@Whitesnake and his famous KoKtAnIEmi iSnT a nOrMaL 3rD OA plaYeR, HE wAS a REaCh have aged well

 

[Habs Halifax]

i still favor us over the Flyers - although now we have to win 3 of the next 4. So, if we are snake bitten twice more like last night, we're out.

Point is, I still favor us not to have the 16th pick. Timmins will have to hit a home run with a late 1st or one of our 3 mid to late 2nds. hard to do. I hope he drafts all D with those picks. Because that's his strong suite.

Honestly, I think this might be the year Bergevin trades a 1st. Habs showing potential and he has 2 years left in term. Might be a good time to move all in.... depending on what moves he can make and what players he can bring in.

If the trade market is weak... I think Bergevin will look to trade up and try to get a Quinn or Lundell.

 

[Whitesnake]

@Whitesnake and his famous KoKtAnIEmi iSnT a nOrMaL 3rD OA plaYeR, HE wAS a REaCh have aged well

Some people will just never understand. Guess what? Patrice Bergeron would NOT have been a normal 3rd overall player either...

 

[Whitesnake]

No I mean @Whitesnake .

Wanting a list of guys is chickenshit. You get to pick one, and everyone gets to call you a moron if your pick doesn't beat the field, that's how this works.

I had Zadina and Hughes. I know one thing. It's better to have an opinion than to wait for others to have an opinion and then call them a moron for doing so. One if ''braver'' than the other....

 

[Whitesnake]

No I mean @Whitesnake .

Wanting a list of guys is chickenshit. You get to pick one, and everyone gets to call you a moron if your pick doesn't beat the field, that's how this works.

By the way, do you know who else thought Zadina was going to be an insane pick and was going to be a 40 goal scorer in the NHL? Grant McCagg....a couple of months before he said how JK was the greatest pick ever.

 

[Whitesnake]

@Whitesnake and his famous KoKtAnIEmi iSnT a nOrMaL 3rD OA plaYeR, HE wAS a REaCh have aged well

Where will you be when Zadina picks it up and becomes a great pick too?

 

[Habs Halifax]

@Whitesnake and his famous KoKtAnIEmi iSnT a nOrMaL 3rD OA plaYeR, HE wAS a REaCh have aged well

Remember when I asked this question pre-draft.... Are there any examples of a late rising stock like Kotkaniemi who busted or disappointed as a top 5 pick? Didn't get much answers and don't remember any to be honest.

 

[Whitesnake]

If some are too dumb to play the game, don't play at all. Not being a typical 3rd overall pick does NOT mean being a bad pick. Top 10 picks in every year are usually great picks. And the same who are waiting for THEIR guy to shine before they show up, are the same in hiding when they don't....or when the other guys are doing great.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Where will you be when Zadina picks it up and becomes a great pick too?

At the bar watching Kotkaniemi play center for us in the playoffs

 

[cphabs]

Kid is coming along nicely! Doesn’t look out of place one bit. Happy for us and him!

 

[Whitesnake]

Remember when I asked this question pre-draft.... Are there any examples of a late rising stock like Kotkaniemi who busted or disappointed as a top 5 pick? Didn't get much answers and don't remember any to be honest.

How about this question? Are there any examples of late rising stocks like Kotkaniemi that actually became top 5 picks?

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

BPA is flawed. Lots of teams draft for need when there is a waive of talent. So the Habs are going to draft a power forward type with our 16th pick. I'm 90% confident.

BPA is a misnomer anyway. Most draft managers are looking at best value available. That's why goalies are rarely drafted high.

 

[Whitesnake]

Strangely, NOBODY remembers that I said that JK HAD to be the pick for us because of our lack of center depth, even if he's not a typical 3rd overall pick. Also, I wonder why nobody remember that I was amongst the first one who was skyrocketing JK in the rankings. Hey, but why matter about facts when you can invent stories to try to look better.....

 

[jiboy]

Beauty shot to actually go for the outside shot through the defender legs, truly a sneaky shot.

Is there another angle for this shot ?

 

[Habs Halifax]

How about this question? Are there any examples of late rising stocks like Kotkaniemi that actually became top 5 picks?

I'm sure there are but this is about memory cause it's hard to look that up. Hey, maybe Sanderson is in this next draft?

 

[Habs Halifax]

BPA is a misnomer anyway. Most draft managers are looking at best value available. That's why goalies are rarely drafted high.

Agreed. They also look at most potential to grow more in their 18+ years.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Beauty shot to actually go for the outside shot through the defender legs, truly a sneaky shot.

Is there another angle for this shot ?

Bar down and a millimetre or two, that's in the net

 

[Whitesnake]

BPA is a misnomer anyway. Most draft managers are looking at best value available. That's why goalies are rarely drafted high.

Why would goalies not have the best value available ? Why would people rave at Price and think that goalies couldn't have a great value. That's not why goalies aren't chosen high. It's because goalie have rarely showed their true potential at such a young age. That it's riskier to use a high pick. But if it works, value could be insane.

 

[Whitesnake]

Agreed. They also look at most potential to grow more in their 18+ years.

Geez....when we assess BPA, we are not looking at who has the most stats as a junior player and pick from there....The BPA at the draft is based on potential.