Prospect Info: Jesperi Kotkaniemi

[GHJimmy]

What DGS wants you to do is make no negative claims about Poehling (because he's big and American) because his upside is limitless and no one should ever dare limit it.

While you cannot make any positive claims about Kotkaniemi (funny name and European) because his upside is limited and no one should dare accept he has more physical growth to come.

Kotkaniemi isn't a funny name, that's a very awesome lovely name! I mean I wish I had it myself, quit making fun of people who aren't funny, but especially a professional player (in the making)

 

[xNogaitx]

It's the Habs:

Hughes-Danault-Gallagher
Kotkaniemi-Plekanec-Domi
Poehling-Drouin-Lehkonen
Olofsson-DLR-Deslauriers

If I could like this a thousand times I would. Btw Gallagher should be on the 3rd line, with Domi on the first, Olofsson getting 5 games a season, and Deslauriers spending 20 games in the top 6.

 

[Redux91]

He has the frame to fill in and be stronger. Tall and skinny. The Kopita/Barkov/Drai comparisons are about young centers who were not elite level skaters. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't believe this was ever a concern with Couture?

6'-2", 187 lbs. All he needs to do is put on 20-30 lbs lean muscle in the next two years. Totally possible.

Dont wanna be a stickler but its already 6"2 + , maybe 6"3 by the end of the year

 

[Belial]

 

[Redux91]

Let's play up drama between Kotkaniemi and Poehling.

You're only allowed to like one player.

lol...y u do dis...

 

[Maitz]

At 6’2 205 he will be perfect. Really not a fan of players gaining too much weight to be stronger. At the new nhl you better be quicker and leaner

 

[DAChampion]

At 6’2 205 he will be perfect. Really not a fan of players gaining too much weight to be stronger. At the new nhl you better be quicker and leaner

Wouldn't having more muscle allow one to sprint faster?

 

[Mrb1p]

Wouldn't having more muscle allow one to sprint faster?

Its almost impossible to stay lean all year in the NHL, the travel and level of play is too great and the season is too long. You have to carry some fat, somewhere.

 

[NotProkofievian]

Wouldn't having more muscle allow one to sprint faster?

Depends over what distance. Some pretty bulky people could believably be very fast in the first 20m or so. But if they were too bulky they'd get killed from 20-100 by actual sprinters.

 

[Belial]

Wouldn't having more muscle allow one to sprint faster?

Probably depends were exactly you gain those muscles...

 

[Habs]

It's the Habs:

Hughes-Danault-Gallagher
Kotkaniemi-Plekanec-Domi
Poehling-Drouin-Lehkonen
Olofsson-DLR-Deslauriers

Sadly, you may be correct. Except move DLR to the blueline and try Weber up the middle.

 

[Tyson]

But you're actually contradicting yourself in your post... Time will tell or it won't take long? Decide yourself...

Sorry for the contradiction. Let me rephrase- it won’t take long to see that not picking the BPA is never a good idea. Picking for need such as a big D like Brent Bilodeau, Brad Brown, Jarred Tinordi or drafting Lindsey Vallis, Turner Stevenson, Jason Ward...all picked because they were big players....now we have a kid whose most redeeming quality is that he is a center. Several scouts had him outside the top 8.
Again- we will see quickly

 

[Andrei79]

This is what happens when folks jump into the middle of conversations...

Answer me this, is he likely to get into the realm of Drai, Barkov, Kopitar in regards to strength on the ice, yes or no?

You honestly can't think of any player who was lanky and eventually gained significant weight to become strong ?

Seriously ?

Kovalev ? He was barely 180lbs. Became likely the 2nd strongest RW on the puck after Jagr.

Getzlaf ? He was 190lbs at more than 6'3".

Malkin ? 6'3" 186 lbs.

Jeff Carter at 6'3" 180lbs ?

Even Datsyuk gained 50 lbs from his draft year.

This is like some bizarro world post where this actually isn't a common occurence for tall, first round picks.

 

[HOPE]

McLegend isn't a twig, not even close.

Lololol are you serious, no wonder people think NHL are big and inpressive physicly.

 

[Belial]

Sorry for the contradiction. Let me rephrase- it won’t take long to see that not picking the BPA is never a good idea. Picking for need such as a big D like Brent Bilodeau, Brad Brown, Jarred Tinordi or drafting Lindsey Vallis, Turner Stevenson, Jason Ward...all picked because they were big players....now we have a kid whose most redeeming quality is that he is a center. Several scouts had him outside the top 8.
Again- we will see quickly

But this was not really an out of this world pick though... He was ranked quite high around the league...

Who said Kotka was not the BPA for this management? You?

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

Over/under 190.5, whatchoo got?

For camp? Hmm I’ll take the under just for fun

 

[Adam Michaels]

Sorry for the contradiction. Let me rephrase- it won’t take long to see that not picking the BPA is never a good idea. Picking for need such as a big D like Brent Bilodeau, Brad Brown, Jarred Tinordi or drafting Lindsey Vallis, Turner Stevenson, Jason Ward...all picked because they were big players....now we have a kid whose most redeeming quality is that he is a center. Several scouts had him outside the top 8.
Again- we will see quickly

Several other scouts had him Top-5 also.

Also about BPA, how do you gauge that within a group of players that can go in any order.

If you as a scouting team and an organization project one player to be a first line winger and another player a first line center, knowing you need centers, you go for the one you project to be a 1C.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

yeah it didn't look like he was quite going full tilt but I swear he just seems to move pretty damn well for a big, barely 18 year old kid. Like there's work to be done I'm sure but I feel like skating went from a mild concern to a borderline strength. I could be wrong but at the very least there's been some very solid progress there which is great to see.

I just like this pick more and more. I don't think he'll be quite best of the best in strength but he looks plenty strong. That rush yesterday where he fought off a few guys was pretty impressive. He's not quite a bull but he still has a ton of room to fill out which is good. If he can bulk up and continue to get faster, he'll be tremendous. I think his best asset is that he just seems to have a ton of room to grow. If he was any more skilled we'd likely have a superstar on our hand (if the physical side were to be developed optimally as well). There's just so much to like.

 

[Ozmodiar]

You honestly can't think of any player who was lanky and eventually gained significant weight to become strong ?

Seriously ?

Kovalev ? He was barely 180lbs. Became likely the 2nd strongest RW on the puck after Jagr.

Getzlaf ? He was 190lbs at more than 6'3".

Malkin ? 6'3" 186 lbs.

Jeff Carter at 6'3" 180lbs ?

Even Datsyuk gained 50 lbs from his draft year.

This is like some bizarro world post where this actually isn't a common occurence for tall, first round picks.

6'1'', 190, pretty close to JK's size.

 

[NotProkofievian]

For camp? Hmm I’ll take the under just for fun

I waffled between 189.5 and 190.5. Over accepted.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

You honestly can't think of any player who was lanky and eventually gained significant weight to become strong ?

Seriously ?

Kovalev ? He was barely 180lbs. Became likely the 2nd strongest RW on the puck after Jagr.

Getzlaf ? He was 190lbs at more than 6'3".

Malkin ? 6'3" 186 lbs.

Jeff Carter at 6'3" 180lbs ?

Even Datsyuk gained 50 lbs from his draft year.

This is like some bizarro world post where this actually isn't a common occurence for tall, first round picks.

Dude. I’m just saying I have my doubts he gets to Drai/Barkov/Kopitar level of beastliness in strength. It’s a reasonable position.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

Several other scouts had him Top-5 also.

Also about BPA, how do you gauge that within a group of players that can go in any order.

If you as a scouting team and an organization project one player to be a first line winger and another player a first line center, knowing you need centers, you go for the one you project to be a 1C.

and if somehow you ignore one's a C and one's a W (which you really can't) it's just not obvious to me that Zadina will be the better player. There's a good chance that Kotka will just be better regardless of position.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

Its almost impossible to stay lean all year in the NHL, the travel and level of play is too great and the season is too long. You have to carry some fat, somewhere.

Guys generally lose weight over the course of the season.

 

[G0bias]

Poehling is clearly ahead of Kotka when it comes to NHL readiness...

Don't know why it's always a competition between the two but I'll play.

I think some people are confusing physical maturity with NHL readiness.

Kotkaniemi having a year of play (and excelling) against pros under his belt goes a long way.
More importantly, let's say they're both given a top 6 role with PP, I'd have no hesitation saying Jesperi would have the bigger impact. Because of one reason - he's simply a superior talent.

While Poehling could be the more physically-advanced player, Kotkaniemi possesses the more developed mental faculties, already being at an elite stage for his age. That's not to mention every other tool besides skating and strength where he's sharper.

 

[HOPE]

Don't know why it's always a competition between the two but I'll play.

I think some people are confusing physical maturity with NHL readiness.

Kotkaniemi having a year of play (and excelling) against pros under his belt goes a long way.
But more importantly, let's say they're both given a top 6 role with PP, I'd have no hesitation saying Jesperi would have the bigger impact. Because of one reason - he's simply a superior talent.

While Poehling could be the more physically-mature player, Kotkaniemi possesses the more developed mental faculties, already being at elite levels for his age.

theres also a big difference in their place style on the PP, Kotkaniemi roams around the left and rigth circle to creates space to make passes or make a good shot. Poehling more than most of the time lets his wingers do that and he creates space in front of the net, blocking vision and deflecting puck