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

[Adam Michaels]

How can you not love this guy? Beauty.

He looks like the fun kid who is too shy to do anything himself, but he sits and laughs and enjoys his pals acting like morons.

 

[Runner77]

So... no interviews with Timmins, MB or Kotkaniemi?

There was a post draft scrum on TVA but can't find it online.

 

[DavePeak]

Kotkaniemi, Poehling, Ikonen, Evans, Vejdemo
We have one of the best center prospect pool in the league now

We have one of the best 2nd center prospect pool in the league now

FTFY... Nah I'm happy with the pick and what we have right now in our prospect pool, it looks much better than before, and we finally have a decent development staff. There is hope...

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

umm no

Name the teams?

 

[WeThreeKings]

There was a post draft scrum on TVA but can't find it online.

French is a no go for me. I can hear it and translate it and speak a bit but I'm far too drunkm

 

[Adam Michaels]

It's incredible how kotkaniemi drove up the ranks so fast. Reminds me of Hischier and Barkov's rises

PLD was the same. In January 2016, most rankings had him around 15th. By draft time, he was Top-5.

 

[Adam Michaels]

There was a post draft scrum on TVA but can't find it online.

I'm sure HabsTV will have them up in not long.

 

[Runner77]

French is a no go for me. I can hear it and translate it and speak a bit but I'm far too drunkm

Actually, he was answering questions in both languages, it just happened to be showing on TVA.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Actually, he was answering questions in both languages, it just happened to be showing on TVA.

Cheers

 

[Habs]

I mean, we took a kid that probably would be around at 8-9.. and we left a lot of talent on the floor. Drafting by position, instead of talent, is what gets teams into trouble.. I hope idiotface does better tomorrow.

 

[Runner77]

Payoff at the 1:06 mark.

 

[DavePeak]

Ikonen is a winger and I don't think I would go that far yet.

Winger, centerman, Habs management prefers to call them forwards as it's all the same anyway...

 

[DavePeak]

I mean, we took a kid that probably would be around at 8-9.. and we left a lot of talent on the floor. Drafting by position, instead of talent, is what gets teams into trouble.. I hope idiotface does better tomorrow.

Arizona picked a C at 5 though, which was another surprise...

 

[Habaneros]

I mean, we took a kid that probably would be around at 8-9.. and we left a lot of talent on the floor. Drafting by position, instead of talent, is what gets teams into trouble.. I hope idiotface does better tomorrow.

good thing is Kota will be on the ice in Brossard in 5 days....everyone will get a look...then again at training camp

 

[admiralcadillac]

That draft ended up being such a let down for those 3.

#1: What happened to him? Oh right, Edmonton happened.
#2: Injuries. So many injuries. He would have been an elite defenseman without them.
#3: Basically a Edmonton situation going on here as well, except he was able to produce offensively to an extent. His development was just as stalled from poor coaching/management.

Galchenyuk's developpment was stalled from more than just poor coaching and management. He has issues or a lack of intelligence or both.

 

[The Great Weal]

I mean, we took a kid that probably would be around at 8-9.. and we left a lot of talent on the floor. Drafting by position, instead of talent, is what gets teams into trouble.. I hope idiotface does better tomorrow.

No we didn't. Arizona just took a center that was supposed to go mid teens at 5, how do you know Kotkaniemi wouldn't have gone at 5?

 

[jaffy27]

Not only that, but seeing Phoenix draft Hayton, makes me think they had planned on Kotka if he was still available.

GMs are increasingly drafting by Best Value Available and centermen are the highest commodity.

If the habs has a discussion to swap picks with Arizona, I’m sure the agreement was no way they (Coyotes) select Kotka.

I’m happy with this selection, but I’m not fully satisfied. We need to aquire another young centre via trade.....With Poehling, Kotkaniemi and whoever we could aquire, our centre depth would be the best we’ve had in I don’t know how long....

 

[BrendanGallagher11]

I mean, we took a kid that probably would be around at 8-9.. and we left a lot of talent on the floor. Drafting by position, instead of talent, is what gets teams into trouble.. I hope idiotface does better tomorrow.

Yotes would have taken him at 5

 

[BB88]

Kotka played the wing in the Finnish men's league. We've all seen how hesitant our organization is to give young forwards a full time centre role once they make it to the NHL.

That's why you don't play him in the NHL next year.
He has a C spot waiting in Liiga, next year at camp he's a full time 2way C.

 

[Habs178]

Hope he’s a good winger!

 

[1909]

Galchenyuk. He was injured almost his entire draft year but had HUGE OHL season as a 16-17 year old and was hyped up a year before his draft.



The biggest knock on Kotka is his skating. Given the speed of today's game, I'm a bit concerned. On the bright side he does have great hockey sense and he appears to be a gamer.



Kotka played the wing in the Finnish men's league. We've all seen how hesitant our organization is to give young forwards a full time centre role once they make it to the NHL.

I was meaning that Kotka is a center while Galchy is the wannabe center.

 

[The Great Weal]

Before anyone says any bs about him not being a center, its already confirmed that he will play center full time next year.

 

[1909]

I mean, we took a kid that probably would be around at 8-9.. and we left a lot of talent on the floor. Drafting by position, instead of talent, is what gets teams into trouble.. I hope idiotface does better tomorrow.

Phoenix would had grabbed him at 5th. KotKaniemi is way superior to Hayton.

 

[Adam Michaels]

 

[vokiel]

Kotkaniemi, Poehling, Ikonen, Evans, Vejdemo
We have one of the best center prospect pool in the league now

Why is this even important for you? I don't think the list is even worth bragging about, it's a bit embarrassing for more reasonable fans. Also Ikonen is out for 6 months with surgery. Evans is recovering from sport hernia, I don't know, I think you should slow down a bit.