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

[Tyson]

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.

Depends on the plan. Will Bergevin allow us to develop these guys or trade them away?

What’s the plan? Short term and long term?

 

[The Great Weal]

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......

It's funny because most of the guys who followed the draft all year love this pick.

 

[sheed36]

Likely already posted in this thread but here's a clip of the NBC feed of the draft when Kotkaniemi was drafted to hear Craig Button, Bob McKenzie, and Pierre McGuire's take on the pick. Sorry if already posted.

 

[jaffy27]

Depends on the plan. Will Bergevin allow us to develop these guys or trade them away?

What’s the plan? Short term and long term?

It’s quite clear that we are going the development route. Especially with Bouchard down in Laval.....I sense a new beginning, a fresh start with our prospects.

Can’t wait for today’s second round!!

 

[Tyson]

The only thing comparable is that there surenames start with the same two letters

Kotkaniemi is only 17. How do you know that he won’t develop into a top line center? He rose faster through the draft rankings more than any other pick from yesterday’s draft.

 

[Tyson]

It’s quite clear that we are going the development route. Especially with Bouchard down in Laval.....I sense a new beginning, a fresh start with our prospects.

Can’t wait for today’s second round!!

I hope you are right! Bringing in Bouchard and relieving Lefebvre has given me some hope that our prospects will be properly developed

 

[Saxon]

It's funny because most of the guys who followed the draft all year love this pick.

I'm pumped!!! I don't mean to bad mouth Zadina either, I would have liked him too but people here are too much lol. Like I said before they both played in men's pro leagues at seventeen...... People can compare those stats since most are just start stat watchers anyway.....

 

[LaP]

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.

Tanking with Weber and Price in the lineup is definitely not how tanking works either. imo people who think next season will be as hard as the last one for Price and Weber are misguided. They are both proud athlete and when they will be back healthy they'll make us a bubble team drafting toward the middle of the first round at best.

 

[jaffy27]

Tanking with Weber and Price in the lineup is definitely not how tanking works either. imo people who think next season will be as hard as the last one for Price and Weber are misguided. They are both proud athlete and when they will be back healthy they'll make us a bubble team drafting toward the middle of the first round at best.

Weber is alone on D and Price as good as he is can not rely on the D in front of him.

We won’t score goals again so expect another low Finnish

 

[The Great Weal]

I'm pumped!!! I don't mean to bad mouth Zadina either, I would have liked him too but people here are too much lol. Like I said before they both played in men's pro leagues at seventeen...... People can compare those stats since most are just start stat watchers anyway.....

I cringed very hard at the Instagram comments. "Zadina had over 4 times the amount of goals, worst pick in franchise history"

 

[Habs Icing]

Cockamame played for asshat of Finnish league.

There are posters here who live in North America and have watched quite a few games. And I know they watched games because they've been posting in the draft thread all year long. This poster however has not made a post all year long and then once the draft goes down he's watched 40-60 games.

 

[Saxon]

I cringed very hard at the Instagram comments. "Zadina had over 4 times the amount of goals, worst pick in franchise history"

Yup, context matters.........lol.

 

[Saxon]

There are posters here who live in North America and have watched quite a few games. And I know they watched games because they've been posting in the draft thread all year long. This poster however has not made a post all year long and then once the draft goes down he's watched 40-60 games.

Habaneros burner account......

 

[Habs Icing]

Cockamame played for asshat of Finnish league.

So what? Many games are streamed.

 

[Habsfan18]

I cringed very hard at the Instagram comments. "Zadina had over 4 times the amount of goals, worst pick in franchise history"

Ah, casuals. I have some friends like that.

It’s always hilarious when they try to compare numbers between kids playing in the CHL and those playing in professional mens league’s.

 

[Whitesnake]

Can we just enjoy and think that this prospect will pan out and will be the centerman we are waiting for? Please. I love the pick. Can't wait for today's round too. I will concentrate on the scouting aspect. 'Cause you all know what I think of the GM aspect....

 

[Habs Icing]

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.

Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Pee Air is salty cause he didn't get the GM job.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

So what? Many games are streamed.

Bro, I was teasing you

 

[Habs Icing]

Bro, I was teasing you

My bad, I thought you were defending that other poster. All's good. I love you again. LOL

 

[blarneylad]

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.

Thank you for putting some skin in the game with that comment. Makes for better discussion

I hope you are wrong

 

[ImNeverWrong]

You have a right to be a cynic but you don't have a right to BS. Domi is not a 3rd liner and what drug problems does he have? Taking insulin is a drug problem for a cynic like you?

I was talking about galchenyuk who ended up as a third line winger last year. And yah, didn't Montreals horrible media report how the kid was forced to go to rehab twice? Where's the B.S.?

 

[Habs Icing]

I was talking about galchenyuk who ended up as a third line winger last year. And yah, didn't Montreals horrible media report how the kid was forced to go to rehab twice? Where's the B.S.?

The way your sentence was written you were implying that Domi is a drug user and a 3rd liner.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

My bad, I thought you were defending that other poster. All's good. I love you again. LOL

Peace, love and kotkaniemi my friend

 

[ImNeverWrong]

The way your sentence was written you were implying that Domi is a drug user and a 3rd liner.

Well domi plays like a third liner with a bigotry problem.

 

[Cobra Commander]

Mumbling at the podium??

Sorry i meant Bumbling