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

[vokiel]

Blues, Panthers, Devils, Wild what?

Blues only have Thomas and he's basically equivalent to Poehling. Who's their Kotkaniemi?
Panthers: Borgstrom = Kotkaniemi. They don't have a Poehling
Devils and Wilds don't even come close...

Devils: Hishier/McLeod/Quenneville/Speers/Boqvist/Talvitie
Wild: Ek/Kunin/Sokolov/Kloos/Shaw
Blues: Thomas/Kyrou/Thompson/Barbashev

 

[Phil Parent]

So I'm back from work.

Kotkaniemi and no trades uh? Boring but I like it.

 

[The Great Weal]

Trading down would have been awful unless it was for 11+12

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Devils: Hishier/McLeod/Quenneville/Speers/Boqvist/Talvitie
Wild: Ek/Kunin/Sokolov/Kloos/Shaw
Blues: Thomas/Kyrou/Thompson/Barbashev

I said center prospect.
Hischier, EK, Thompson, Barbashev aren't prospects
Kyrou is a winger.

 

[Runner77]

Trading down would have been awful unless it was for 11+12

Happy MB didn't trade down. Pleased with the pick, it was the best form of damage control in the circumstances (i.e. who knows what lesser player he may have been tempted with, had Kotkaniemi been taken once he'd have traded down).

Hoping to see more of the same tomorrow.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Is it a situation where "if he plays in Laval he cant join Montreal"?

That is a good question. Because even if he plays in Laval for the next two years, his ELC will slide. So this may apply the same as a junior player, who can't play a 10th game.

 

[The Great Weal]

Happy MB didn't trade down. Pleased with the pick, it was the best form of damage control in the circumstances.

Hoping to see more of the same tomorrow.

People who say he is a reach don't have a clue first of all, secondly with all the centers that went in a weak draft for centers, we did very well.

 

[Redux91]

I have to admit I was hoping for Zadina. But after reading @WeThreeKings and a few others opinions. I'm firmly on the "Kotka" bandwagon.

Good to see you Ol Timer

 

[The Great Weal]

"I'm a playmaker" - Kotkaniemi who was a fantastic shot.

 

[No More Subban]

What? Most 3rd overall aren’t NHL rdy ASAP.

Yeah you're right. I had to look it up. Galchenyuk was the last one who actually played right away, well lockout probably helped. Draisatl also played 37 games but got sent down or something to WHL, I think.

 

[Runner77]

People who say he is a reach don't have a clue first of all, secondly with all the centers that went in a weak draft for centers, we did very well.

Pretty clear that all teams are prioritizing adding more centers, even those that already have depth at the position. It's a commodity in short supply. Looking back at the round, we made the right move at the right time. O'Brien, Dellandrea were nowhere close to the end of the first round -- the place to get your first center was with your first pick.

 

[ECWHSWI]

the real question is...

in his first real camp with the Habs in 19/20, will Kotkaniemi happen to be our best C prospect who played lw for the last season in a half or something ?

 

[No More Subban]

Trading down would have been awful unless it was for 11+12

Damn NYI killed it tonight.

 

[Redux91]

"I'm a playmaker" - Kotkaniemi who was a fantastic shot.

yeah, tho you get the sense he means it as "if the play to make is a goal, im doing that too btw"

 

[Redux91]

the real question is...

in his first real camp with the Habs in 19/20, will Kotkaniemi happen to be our best C prospect who played lw for the last season in a half or something ?

He will be in camp this year, and play center in finland next year, and then play in our camp again in 19/20 and maybe have a shot at making the team as one of our better C prospects?
Its hard to understand your question bud

 

[Adam Michaels]

People who say he is a reach don't have a clue first of all, secondly with all the centers that went in a weak draft for centers, we did very well.

When you think Hayton went 5th, Kravtsov went 9th, Dellandrea went 13th. Those guys were bigger reaches than Kotkaniemi was at 3.

 

[ECWHSWI]

He will be in camp this year, and play center in finland next year, and then play in our camp again in 19/20 and maybe have a shot at making the team as one of our better C prospects?
Its hard to understand your question bud

real as in : chance to make the team, not just showing off and then go back for his season in Europe.

 

[ImNeverWrong]

I know comparisons get thrown around for these kids. But when the two names that come up as comparisons to Kotkaniemi stylistically are Barkov and Kopitar, you know you have made a real good pick.

And then you have Poehling who has been compared to a Jordan Staal or a Mikko Kooivu.

Imagine having Barkov/Kopitar as your 1C and Staal/Koivu as your 2C. That may end up being Kotkaniemi and Poehling for Habs down the road.

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.

 

[The Great Weal]

When you think Hayton went 5th, Kravtsov went 9th, Dellandrea went 13th. Those guys were bigger reaches than Kotkaniemi was at 3.

Winner of the draft was the Islanders. Loser was the Coyotes. Thank god Bergevin didn't trade down to 5 just to get a meh asset like another 2nd.

 

[Redux91]

Pretty clear that all teams are prioritizing adding more centers, even those that already have depth at the position. It's a commodity in short supply. Looking back at the round, we made the right move at the right time. O'Brien, Dellandrea were nowhere close to the end of the first round -- the place to get your first center was with your first pick.

Yup it truly feels like BPA is now skewed whenever Centers are involved,
maybe thats what the teams that have all the best centers in the league figured out a long time ago..

 

[Runner77]

When you think Hayton went 5th, Kravtsov went 9th, Dellandrea went 13th. Those guys were bigger reaches than Kotkaniemi was at 3.

I was hoping O'Brien might slip. He went at 19.

 

[sandviper]

When you think Hayton went 5th, Kravtsov went 9th, Dellandrea went 13th. Those guys were bigger reaches than Kotkaniemi was at 3.

Hayton at #5 stunned me. I was surprised with Kravtsov also going top-10, but Hayton, O’Brien and Dellandrea were my biggest surprises.

Kotkaniemi just felt anti-climatic. Happy with the pick, though not doing cartwheels. Still think he’ll be a great player for us.

 

[Redux91]

real as in : chance to make the team, not just showing off and then go back for his season in Europe.

Cool, im just pointing out there was no merit to your question whatsoever and that you just wanted to ruffle up a few feathers and say that he may not be a center to burst everyones bubble, nice try tho.

 

[The Great Weal]

I was hoping O'Brien might slip. He went at 19.

Only player I am really upset not making it to the 2nd is Alexeyev. I figured O'Brien was gone, but I had hope for Alexeyev. Which reminds me, I have to put @G0bias on the ignore list because he jinxed it.

 

[The Great Weal]

Hayton at #5 stunned me. I was surprised with Kravtsov also going top-10, but Hayton, O’Brien and Dellandrea were my biggest surprises.

Kotkaniemi just felt anti-climatic. Happy with the pick, though not doing cartwheels. Still think he’ll be a great player for us.

Another awful pick was the guy the Wild took. Probably would have taken him in the 3rd round.