Kotkaniemi finishes the season with 27 points in 79 games & 1 point in 11 playoff games.

[HuGo Sham]

I was surprised by his end of year quotes. He mentioned he played like shit. In the past he would've blamed the coaching staff and asked for a trade.

 

[PeteWorrell]

I was surprised by his end of year quotes. He mentioned he played like shit. In the past he would've blamed the coaching staff and asked for a trade.

Even he realizes that his contract makes him untradeable.

 

[Lolonegoal]

I don't know 2 years ago he put up an impressive 0 goals and 2 points in 14 playoffs games, I wouldn't be surprised after that regular season if he lays a goose egg and/or gets benched.

The funny thing is prior to the start of the playoffs this year in his 2 years with Carolina and previous 2 years with Montreal he played the same amount of playoffs games with both teams. Triple the goals with Montreal and only one of the two teams made the cup final. And I know, I know, your immediate reaction is going to be, "The Habs team was actually garbage/carried by Price/only made it because of the Covid divisions".

Well, the funny thing is by the end of the playoffs he was scratched on that garbage ass team that fluked their way to the finals. That was the entire reason he sought to get out of there. Your management thought they were using him to get back at Montreal for offer sheeting Aho, but really he was using your team to get revenge on the Habs for scratching him and get a nice fat pay cheque despite not knowing how to skate.

Damn over a month ago and I predicted KK's playoff performance.

 

[Chuck Norris Trophy]

Can someone please explain to me why in the everloving f*** did the Hurricanes give him an 8 year contract?

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

Can someone please explain to me why in the everloving f*** did the Hurricanes give him an 8 year contract?

To justify giving him a revenge offer sheet lol.

 

[Chan790]

Can someone please explain to me why in the everloving f*** did the Hurricanes give him an 8 year contract?

He was young (still is), the Canes front office is all about the fancy numbers, those numbers suggested that he was being misutilized and misdeveloped in Montreal and would become a two-way beast of a 2C with the right work, so if the opportunity comes to sign that at well below today's market rate, you maximize the term. If the data was right, we'd have a fantastic two-way 2C signed at <$5M/yr. through their prime in an rapidly-expanding cap era. In short, it looked good on the computer. It looked ******* great on the computer. And...that's why you don't play the game on the computer.

Failure of data or failure of analysis is why Kotkaniemi is signed for a long time. The Canes FO is run on consensus, but this one feels like it's on Eric Tulsky as he's the fancy statistics guy.

 

[jfhabs]

Can someone please explain to me why in the everloving f*** did the Hurricanes give him an 8 year contract?

It was a gamble, looks bad now.
I didn't love it then, not the guy I would bet on.

 

[My3Sons]

He was young (still is), the Canes front office is all about the fancy numbers, those numbers suggested that he was being misutilized and misdeveloped in Montreal and would become a two-way beast of a 2C with the right work, so if the opportunity comes to sign that at well below today's market rate, you maximize the term. If the data was right, we'd have a fantastic two-way 2C signed at <$5M/yr. through their prime in an rapidly-expanding cap era. In short, it looked good on the computer. It looked ******* great on the computer. And...that's why you don't play the game on the computer.

Failure of data or failure of analysis is why Kotkaniemi is signed for a long time. The Canes FO is run on consensus, but this one feels like it's on Eric Tulsky as he's the fancy statistics guy.

He’s still young enough that his game can develop further. Thr book isn’t closed on him yet. Some guys take longer to get it together.

 

[Stickpucker]

Fine, I'll be the one who stands by him. He was a beast in the playoffs here in Montreal and I predict he will score some big goals this year.

In the SEL?

 

[Vukotal Recall]

In the SEL?

I guess his big goal was to let me down, so that works, right?

 

[Mick Riddleton]

Shame he had so much potential.

 

[Brookbank]

Is this a Pierre Luc Dubois situation ? The Canucks better not acquire him

4.8 isn't horror bad

Did Marc Bergavin unload him ? He has a history of this

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

Can someone please explain to me why in the everloving f*** did the Hurricanes give him an 8 year contract?

They were hoping he would develop and eventually outproduce the deal

 

[Boud]

Is this a Pierre Luc Dubois situation ? The Canucks better not acquire him

4.8 isn't horror bad

I don't think it's even similar to PLD. Kotkaniemi is more like a Lars Eller type player. It's more about him not living up to the expectations and his draft status. His contract is not helping with how people perceive him and evaluate him. He never really showed for a sustained period of time that he could be a legitimate point producer. That said, there are other qualities to his game. is he worth 4.8M? No. But he's just that type of player that will adjust and find a role in the league and still be a good player, just not a top 6 center. The Canes bet on him at a very young age and gave him that contract when he hadn't proved anything. It was a decent bet to take, it just hasn't paid off like they hoped it would.

PLD has shown he can be a force for sustained periods of play. His play at his best is a legit top line player that can dominate physically. Problem is in his head. He isn't committed to being the best player that he can on a nightly basis. If PLD had the heart of KK, he would be coveted by every team in the NHL. He's just that type of player you look at and can't help to be dissapointed. Same style to a Bobby Ryan. PLD got his contract after a very good year and then dissapeared. With PLD it could be anything that throws him off his game or he just gives up. Could be that he doesnt like his cosch, the city he plays in, his linemates. Anything that doesn't work as planned for him generates a negative reaction that impacts his play.

 

[Jee]

Can someone please explain to me why in the everloving f*** did the Hurricanes give him an 8 year contract?

Because dumb

 

[Realgud]

Hard to believe MTL picked him at 3rd overall and missed on picking the net filling legend Filip Zadina lmao

 

[Negan4Coach]

They were hoping he would develop and eventually outproduce the deal

As we say in the Army- "hope in one hand and shit in the other- see which fills up first"

 

[Frank Drebin]

Shame he had so much potential.

did he though

 

[wetcoast]

It was a gamble, looks bad now.
I didn't love it then, not the guy I would bet on.

This is how I see it as well but it seems that lots of Habs fans are taking time off between swings at the golf course to get a dig in here.

I still love the signing as so many fans went berserk and the Rent Free signing is still giving.

 

[Frank Drebin]

This is how I see it as well but it seems that lots of Habs fans are taking time off between swings at the golf course to get a dig in here.

I still love the signing as so many fans went berserk and the Rent Free signing is still giving.

Living rent free > having to evict

 

[Canadiens Ghost]

I still love the signing as so many fans went berserk and the Rent Free signing is still giving.

if "rent free" means having the last laugh and loving every second of it, then rent free it is.

 

[Jee]

In this economy, I love free rents