Yes, largely this. He is playing well. He plays a straightforward North/South game. He has all the attributes Montreal fans said he had when we got him, but he skates better and is more consistent, and a much better defensive player. Because Necas is so dynamic, his goal (and Eric Robinson's) is to make the simple plays and let Necas carry the puck right now. He's getting many of his points just dishing the puck to Necas, though that doesn't make Kotkaniemi a bad player in his own right.
He's one I'd want to hang onto until the end of the contract. He doesn't provide surplus value beyond the $4.82M, but he's a hard player to play against and a big body. I could see him putting up 40-50 points for much of his prime, maybe occasionally hitting 60 if all goes right or if he sees much powerplay time. Right now he's getting all 8 points at even strength.
