Prospect Info: Welcome to Montréal, Jesperi Kotkaniemi (1st round pick, 3OA 2018 - signed ELC)

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Ok, first of all as you might have figured out I am from Finland and as you have also most likely noticed the Finns always cheer for their fellow countrymen, especially in hockey. I’ve been following Kotkaniemi closer the last two seasons and always been crazy about these young Finns in the last 3-4 years and followed their progress even closer than the other Finnish players.
Jesperi does not even come close to the likes of Barkov, Laine, Rantanen, Ristolainen, Määttä, Aho, Puljujärvi when it comes to skill and determination to be the best. The closest comparison to Jesperi would be Artturi Lehkonen or Kasperi Kapanen, both busts in my opinion and their ceiling is really low.

I really do hope I’m dead wrong on this one but Kotkaniemi has not shown anything, at any level, to prove me wrong.

lmfao how is Lehkonen a bust? he was drafted in the 2nd round and is now a solid NHL player. That's better than most second rounders
 
The haters in here are so laughable.

Kotkaniemi has as much chance as becoming a superstar player as Zadina. He has way more upside than Tkachuk by a fair margin. He is the center with the best talent we drafted in age.

Some people really believe that we ONLY selected him because he is a center. That is insane even if he was only a winger he would get drafted top 5 no doubt.

Kotkaniemi strenghts are
1. HOCKEY SENSE (as ability to impact the game and understand and process at high pace with good decision). This is probably the biggest bust killer. I don't remember any prospect with insane hockey sense busting while I've seen hundreds prospects with insane physical skills and speed bust because of lacking hockey sense.
some names with insane tools that lacked hockey sense and busted: Yakupov, Daigle, Paajarvi.

2. PUCK PROTECTION, Kotkaniemi is a dominant puck handler and very hard to knock off the puck. He is already playing the pro game and he is still only 180 pounds (so much room to grow). That skillset is another key skill for the NHL. Many junior kids have hard time operating in the NHL because they cannot control the puck like in junior. I have Jonathan Drouin and Alex Galchenyuk as example. They don't have the space to operate as in junior and they are not able to protect the puck as easily and the games that looked so easy in junior are now becoming harder in the pro. Kotkaniemi is insane at protecting the puck and using his body and strenght. He also still has room to grow too which is insane given how good he is already at protecting the puck. That is another skill that is important and can limit top players game efficency if they don't adapt.

3. SHOOTING ABILITY
So much is talked about Zadina shot but very few about Kotkaniemi shot. His shot is insane with lot of power and accuracy. His delivery is also amazing unlike a certain Galchenyuk who also possesed a nice shot but with a very slow delivery which limited is effectiveness. Having a player that shot amd pass like him at center is great and somehow remaniscent of some of the best centers in the NHL like Malkin, Seguin and Scheifele.

4. HANDS,
The guy can deke and create space with his hands. He is so good at operating in thight area and slowing down the pace to open passing lanes. This guy has great mitts and it should translate well in the NHL.

5. WORK RATE/INTANGIBLES, the guy is impacting the game everywhere you never see him float and he is making the right decision defensively and offensively (ala a coach dream). He will go to the hard area and is not scared to go to the net. He is adaptable and so much is talked about "intangibles" like it or not and he possess that which is still very important in the pro. So much people are praising Tkachuk intangibles but they forget Kotkaniemi has the same traits.
 
As much as I don't believe in MB anymore, who knows what it would have cost to sway Chayka and whether he was even open to making that deal. It goes in the "we'll never know" file.
A GM who can't get out of his own way...........the thinking that everything is hard, has to stop...the guy can't get the job done, so he stops trying?
When there is a wall in the way, you either go through it, over it or around it..........MB just quits, and says it is what it is...I am tired of this clown giving up because he doesn't have the brains to get creative, in any of his thinking.....get out of the way, if this is how he is going to keep operating.....year 7 and we are all still waiting for miracles? Make it happen...
 
And he'll be right. The day you draft Kot is the day you decide to rebuild (unless he is more ready than we think). Vets should be traded if Kot appears to be a project at the next camp and if they are not MB should be heavily criticized for it.

Thats not how it works. You don’t tear a team apart because a player you draft might be 2-3 years away.

Thats not to say we shouldn’t rebuild but to think we keep the team together with Zadina or tear it appart with Kot is misguided.
 
Seems like such a jerk...his whole family, just seem so unlikeable arrogant people...

Really? I don’t get that impression.

Keith even made me laugh. Family was sitting near dahlin and he taps him and says “psst, Rasmus, where do you think you’ll be picked?”

Clearly joking and keeping things light when these kids are under spotlight.
 
Just watched the NBC coverage when Kotkaniemi was selected and Craig Button just absolutely loves this player. Bob McKenzie seems pretty high on him as well. Pierre McGuire though still seems salty over the Habs taking Price in 2005 instead of Kopitar. :)
 
Don’t tell Bergevin but Habs are now in rebuild mode. Too bad he signed Price to that contract though.
 
I'd like someone to justify the Zadina/Hossa comparisons. Zadina is slow, not good defensively, loses more board battles that Quinn Hughes in the NCAA......
 
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Well, winning the lottery was wasted.
BPA? we passed on that.
Don’t draft according to team need.....unless of course your Bergy and smarter than the rest.

Nothing against Kotkaniemi I’m sure he’s thrilled. After ACL surgery a kid with average speed picked 3OA, he must feel HE won the lottery? As a Habs fan you have two choices rail against the pick or wish him well.

Good luck kid see you in a few years.
 
I see Eagle filling in at 6’3 215/220lbs by the time he hits 22yrs old, he’s gonna be a beast.

Leave him in Suomi, let him dominate the next WJC U20. My guesss is he’s gonna be given a bigger role with his team next year, the perfect scenario for us.

Now, about Jack Hughes and next seasons tank job........:D

I'd keep the goal at 200lbs-205lbs right now, don't want him to become too heavy to affect his skating ceiling.

It really bothers me to listen all around places questions around his offensive game.
I'll take an example from the past. I remember the 2015 draft, Boston had the 13th pick, I remember 1 selfclaimed expert say taking Rantanen at 13th would be the biggest mistake Boston could ever make, his offensive ceiling is low.
All around HF I was defending against that and trying to say he played in a mens league.

Well next season he completely dominated the AHL and recently hit 84 points. Not that I expect Kotka to hit that number but you can't look at pro league numbers blindly and say a guy with .5 average has a low ceiling.
Kotka is closer to being year younger than Rants on draft day.
 
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We’ve reached point where sucking brings us happiness because it will allow us to get pieces we haven’t had in years.

1 step back but 2 step forwards. Hopefully we sell.
Yep.....this is how a tank works.

One more bad year, another top 3 pick and with what we currently have plus them 4 second rounders, it’s shaping up well.
 
Well, winning the lottery was wasted.
BPA, we passed on that.
Don’t draft according to team need.....unless of course your Bergy and smarter than the rest.

Nothing against Kotkaniemi I’m sure he’s thrilled. After ACL surgery a kid with average speed picked 3OA, he must feel HE won the lottery? As a Habs fan you have two choices rail against the pick or wish him well.

Good luck kid see you in a few years.

Who says he wasn’t BPA?
 
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