KevSkillz4
Registered User
- Apr 11, 2016
- 6,994
- 11,374
Player Discussion Jesperi Kotkaniemi - Part 19
- Thread starter Lshap
- Start date
- Status
KevSkillz4
Registered User
- Apr 11, 2016
- 6,994
- 11,374
21 years old and he put 34 points at 18 years old. That's pretty not bad and he is not Eller. Eller he is a good 3C but limited hockey IQ don't put him at top 6 C. KK have better hockey IQ than Eller.
HabsFather
Twitter: @HabsFather
Not at all. He stepped up in the playoffs; he has nerves of steel. He has been battle tested. Get him some good wingers and look out.
Why is this a bad thing though? The team's goal is to win. I'd rather add good, established centres to the team to try and compete than cross our fingers and pray by handing KK second line duties.
If KK proves that he's the second best centre on the team, then awesome, give him the ice and run with it, but you shouldn't hand the offensive keys to an, at this point in his career, 30 point centre and expect success. It's a tough division and he's still young.
I never said I’d have an issue with getting Kk some insulation.
but I also don’t think playing KK in the top 6 and winning, can’t mesh together.
i never said anything should be handed to him…I didn’t even insinuate that. I just think it would be nice to get him a shot in the top 6 for once.
I know crazy
The Great Weal
Phil's Pizza
- Jan 15, 2015
- 52,834
- 66,079
Zibanajed's 20 year old season was significantly better than KK's
le_sean
Registered User
- Oct 21, 2006
- 40,168
- 40,497
Not sure he has a long enough offseason to really improve. I wouldn’t be surprised to see status quo this season.
The Great Weal
Phil's Pizza
- Jan 15, 2015
- 52,834
- 66,079
I already know the next excuse is that it's a shorter offseason so it's harder for him to be prepared. If KK doesn't hit 40 points next season, I think everyone should be concerned. Ya, he's only 21 but it's his 4th NHL season and you'd expect some kind of growth.
Captain97
Registered User
I'm in a similar boat to you for this season I think we need a solid middle six C and bump Evans to the 4th line. Like a 35-40 point guy would be solid.
montreal
Go Habs Go
it would be valid, you shouldn't expect that much improvement physically in 7ish weeks time. As for 40 pts, first let's see his usage, wingers, etc.. If he's a 2nd line winger then I would expect at least 40 points, but it's about how he plays etc... and what MB does that matters.
Scotty Bowman said he felt KK would take 2 years, that was this past season so if he's not there yet this season, then he's not there yet.
Agalloch
EliteProspects
The Great Weal
Phil's Pizza
- Jan 15, 2015
- 52,834
- 66,079
Nah it's just another excuse. He looked like a completely different player after a similar amount of time off coming back for the bubble. If he's still got endurance issues in his 4th NHL season, then there should be a concern.
Gaylord Q Tinkledink
Registered User
- Apr 29, 2018
- 29,627
- 31,188
KK wasn't very good in his rookie year. It was only acceptable because he was 18
Montreal Impact FC
.:| Champ's City |:.
for sure Kotkaniemi needs to show he really belongs.. yeah its nice he scored some playoffs goals.. but the guy is good then dissapears for stretchs.. he really need to have consistency to his game he needs to put points on the board for sure.
he need to become a bit more mature as well.. when you dont play gOod and they put you out of the lineup its because you dont play well. I cant blame Ducharme for benching him..KK often has a very nice stretch of games followed by a monstrous long cold streak.. he needs to figure this out ASAP. it cannot continue.. the excuses time is over. 4th season now. he need to understand his potential can only bring him opportunities for some limited time and that time will start to run out well actually already started to run out. hence the AHL trip and the benching.
some responsabilty for sure goes to MB who rushed him too of course but what is done is done now.
he need to become a bit more mature as well.. when you dont play gOod and they put you out of the lineup its because you dont play well. I cant blame Ducharme for benching him..KK often has a very nice stretch of games followed by a monstrous long cold streak.. he needs to figure this out ASAP. it cannot continue.. the excuses time is over. 4th season now. he need to understand his potential can only bring him opportunities for some limited time and that time will start to run out well actually already started to run out. hence the AHL trip and the benching.
some responsabilty for sure goes to MB who rushed him too of course but what is done is done now.
The Great Weal
Phil's Pizza
- Jan 15, 2015
- 52,834
- 66,079
I wouldn't say "not very good" but you saw him do a lot more offensively compared to now. And that's still with the 3rd line linemates and low ice time.
Montreal Impact FC
.:| Champ's City |:.
its true when kotka came into the league he had some amazing assists he could do that really were amazing.. unexpected and yet very precise its almsot like that type of pass completely dissapeared from his game..
thats what rushing a player does.. they focus on surviving instead of thriving and they make it a way of life.. some will figure it out and still become better some wont and will be stuck in that undefined identity.
let just hope he figures it out. cause I start to be concerned.
montreal
Go Habs Go
KK played his last game of the season on March 3rd, then training camp for the playins didn't start until July, now of course he was injured so unless you know when he was able to start training, vs the time he left for camp, then from this year in how long if any time off he took before he started training to when camp starts in Sept. I wouldn't say he was completely different player either, but that's semantics really.
We'll see how he plays, but if he's not there yet then it doesn't mean he won't get there it just means he's not there yet. But I personally don't expect a lot of changes to his skating, lower body strength in such a short time frame. Doesn't mean he can't since no one knows when he will have started training and what he's even doing. And it's not like someone won't freak out regardless unless he's crushing it, as clearly some posters have it in for him as evidenced by the 8 pages of shit when we lost a game.
montreal
Go Habs Go
semantics aside, as good, very good, not so good, etc... 34 pts in 79 games for such a young player in a tough position for most of the year (I think he played a few games at wing) was certainly something to be excited about even though he clearly was having issues with the physical aspects of skating and strength.
The Great Weal
Phil's Pizza
- Jan 15, 2015
- 52,834
- 66,079
Well do you know when he was recovered and able to train? The difference in time off isn't substantial whatsoever. He can definitely be good, and he needs to be. It's his going to be his 4th year.
Rushing a player but giving him rope can work. Rushing a player and then pouncing on him for all mistakes is dumb.
Pompeius Magnus
Registered User
montreal
Go Habs Go
I doubt any of us know, but it's somewhere around twice the amount of time, so what's substantial to you? It being his 4th year doesn't mean shit. Byron had 17 goals in his career at age 26, at age 26 Petry never had more then 25 pts, only once did he get over 17 pts in a season, then at 30 he rattles off 4 years of 40+ pts. Development is funny and not linear, it happens when it happens, not when we want it no matter how much time someone has had in the NHL. We'll see how he plays, but some posters act like everything is just an excuse, the shortest 6 week schedule in NHL history, well that's just an excuse for his bad play during those 6 weeks, the shortest off-season in NHL history, well that's just an excuse. Some posters just love to crap on this kid no matter what. He's either going to get their or he won't, nothing about time tables fans set up will matter.
- Status
