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

[DAChampion]

I don't care.

And yet here you are spreading fabricated rumours about players.

 

[admiralcadillac]

And yet here you are spreading fabricated rumours about players.

Whatever floats your boat

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

I love this pick. I also love the fact that most casual fans hate the pick and have been crying all day.

Worst Center depth in the entire league and we are starting to do something about it yet fans are crying lmao.

In fairness most of the people against the Kotk pick are people who want us to compete right now instead of blowing up the turd of a team that we have.

Most people who want a rebuild are down with the pick

 

[Conflicted Habs fan]

Essentially he's going to be Montreal's version of Winnipeg's Laine. Lethal on the offense he is our Finnish juggernaut hard hitting one timer scoring MACHINE!

 

[drewjenks]

Even the "great" mikko koivu couldnt reach Jesperi's 17 yr old point output in the Liiga until he was 20 himself
and i remember the bigtime hype around teuvo terraveinen and how great a feat it was for someone so young playing against the men and producing..at the same clip as Kotka

The kid might have a hell of a year next year..

I think he'll be better than Mikko Koivu ever was just because of the shot

I think you'll be wrong.

 

[Wats]

Yea but on the other end people were shocked when a Finnish center in Barkov was selected ahead of top-end Halifax winger Zad...Drouin in the 2013 draft.

Sure Kotka isn't Barkov's tier.. but you can find analogies for anything lol.

I think Barkov actually played C the entire year

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Outside the box thinking just can't happen with MB...it just can't.

He can't do inside the box thinking either

 

[Habby Patty]

Yes we actually got Hillis! Lets go!

 

[ProspectsFanatic]

McShane is solid value in the 4th!

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

To start off, I wanted either, in order of preference, Boo, Hughes or Kotka, so Im happy.

I also wanted one of those three so all the Zadina BPA parrots would get their panties in a bunch.

I have to admit. I'm biased against the Q, especially when it comes with players 6'1 and over. Not that I think that players from the Q can't make it. I just think it's harder to tell because the leap in required hockey IQ between NHL and Q is one of the biggest compared to other junior leagues.

That's why I was not sold on either Zadina and Dobson. Pretty sure at least one of the two is not gonna live up to the hype.

Zadina has quite the release and soft hands, but he scores mostly always in the same areas, often on set-up plays. Now he might be highly creative, but to me there's no way to tell because of those factors. I'd be sold if he was creating things all over the offensive zone like Svech does, but it's not the case.

There's the U20, but again, often on set-up plays and the same areas. Some do great at the U20 and have no nhl future, some do great and do have a future, and among those who don't do great (Borgstrom for example) some do become NHLers and some don't. A good U20 doesn't garantee a NHLer either way.




Now, for Jasper, he's already taken a step-up in a much harder league at a younger age, against men. He stacks up very well to all the other high pick finns of the last 6 years.


This pick has me further wondering if Timmins has been given some GM mandates by Molson.

The parrots and sheeps kept repeating "we need scorers, bleet bleet bleet". What we are really lacking are playmakers and play drivers. Centers and PMDs too. They also happen to have the highest value. I like this pick. Pretty sure the Eagle will soar.

 

[DAChampion]

I also love the fact that most casual fans hate the pick and have been crying all day.

That's not true, the reaction is mixed and often positive.

It's not like the McCarron and Juulsen selections, those two enraged the fanbase.

 

[Et le But]

That's not true, the reaction is mixed and often positive.

It's not like the McCarron and Juulsen selections, those two enraged the fanbase.

The McCarron pick was rightfully hated.

The Juulsen pick was just boring, the hate was misguided.

 

[Per Sjoblom]

Acceptable names:

Kotkaniemi
Kotk
JK
Coke and Spaghetti
coke avec mes amis (please correct my French, been awhile)
Cots are for sleeping

Jesperi is probably the Finnish version of the Swedish name Jesper which originated from the name Jasper. Maybe call him Jasper?

 

[Per Sjoblom]

Congrats on getting your center, I think you got a really good player.
On a side note Swedish news reported that Jonathan Taves called Boqvist and welcomed him after he got drafted by the BlackHawks.

 

[NotProkofievian]

I'll be saving all the pro Kotkaniemi posts for a later date.

Either way, it'll be a win-win for me. He'll either turn out great for the team, which is great, or he'll turn out to be a bust like I though(still do), and I'll be able to laugh at those who thought otherwise....

Either way, good luck in Montreal, kid.

You're gonna need it.

One wonders how badly Zadina is gonna be biting us in the arse over the years.....??

Yeah, if Kotkaniemi turns out to be a 1C, I'll be farting directly in your internet mouth to teach you a lesson.

 

[cujo1117]

relax folks his only 17

 

[didimentionlarseller]

ah yeah Eller the third liner that got 8 more points this season and the same amount 2 years ago than l he did with the habs with a better off team , god i miss him so much..........................

what a player he was , a third liner.

 

[didimentionlarseller]

Also now that I think about it could SN coverage have been any more rude to Kotkaniemi who went 3rd overall?

I don't understand why he was the only player they didn't air a live interview for - instead they seemed to have several setup shots for live air to cut to and goof on. That was really glaring to me anyways

 

[CauZuki]

Coldcutyummi is going to fit in great, I have a good feeling about him. Seems like the kind of kid that could make the NHL at 19/20. Good head on his shoulders and doesn't take himself too seriously.

Overall I am content with the pick and I think he definitely has 70pts/1C potential. I sincerily hope we give him every chance to succeed and don't repeat the same mistakes , over and over and over...

 

[bsl]

Those are best case scenarios. I've been watching over hyped habs prospects on HF for nearly a decade. Our development system is trash. Our scouting is trash. Barkov and Mikko Koivu? Lol. Let's worry about drafting a comparable to someone like Mikael backlund first before we make comparisons to hart and selke candidates.

Still laugh at how half the board just pencils in guys like tinordi and beaulieu in their future top 4 and makes claims like we have the best defensive core in the league.

Our best center pick in over a decade aka galchenyuk, gets turned into a 3rd line winger with drug problems because he's depressed.

Take a step back before you make these ridiculous comparisons. The proof is in the pudding of habs drafting & development. We suck at it. We suck at It very badly. The Finn and the American have A LONG WAY TO GO.

And I have every right to be a cynic at this stage.

Whom would you have picked?

 

[Andrei79]

My favorite pick in years.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Can't wait to see this guy develop.

 

[didimentionlarseller]

Zadina has quite the release and soft hands, but he scores mostly always in the same areas, often on set-up plays. Now he might be highly creative, but to me there's no way to tell because of those factors. I'd be sold if he was creating things all over the offensive zone like Svech does, but it's not the case.

My biggest worry with Zadina was him being able to score as close into the net in the NHL as he currently does. He's not a huge guy and going to take some serious hits to be scoring consistently below the dots like he does right now, less time less room.

 

[Adam Michaels]

 

[didimentionlarseller]

His nickname is already Eagle

If everyone agreed to call him Eller or Lars i would do that also