Jesperi Kotkaniemi Breakout Season?

[AhosDatsyukian]

Sounds like he’s a Charlie Coyle level player now.

Not a bad comparison, Coyle is a lot older without much upside and has a higher cap hit but on the ice today I'd say they're close in terms of impact.

 

[japhi]

Easy to forget he's still just 23 and 3 years of his development were hindered by MTL. He's been pretty invisible lately but part of it is injury as mentioned and also his linemates have been invisible too. A healthy Svech on his wing along with him being healthy and he'd have more production in the last month. I still think he's an ok 2C, not completely ideal but in the absence of a clear upgrade (hard to find) he's fine there and is on a contract that is very reasonable even if he is playing like a 3C. He's responsible in all zones so even when the points aren't there he helps the team.

He wasn't hindered by MTL, that is a myth. He was playing 13/14 mins a game, sheltered assignments. Had a great RC year and decent playoff numbers in MTL.

His first year in CAR they him played less minutes, with worse players and here we are, he is struggling a bit in CAR and his last two games, 11 minutes.

MTL did sit him in the second Cup playoff run and that is where the myth of misused Jesperi comes from. And he showed us by going to CAR and breaking out in the playoffs with 9 points in 29 games, a third of those points in one game.

And while young, he has 350 NHL games, and doesn't appear to be improving much. Or maybe he is and Rod is hindering him.

His primary issue is he has cement legs and the league keeps getting faster.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

He wasn't hindered by MTL, that is a myth. He was playing 13/14 mins a game, sheltered assignments. Had a great RC year and decent playoff numbers in MTL.

His first year in CAR they him played less minutes, with worse players and here we are, he is struggling a bit in CAR and his last two games, 11 minutes.

MTL did sit him in the second Cup playoff run and that is where the myth of misused Jesperi comes from. And he showed us by going to CAR and breaking out in the playoffs with 9 points in 29 games, a third of those points in one game.

And while young, he has 350 NHL games, and doesn't appear to be improving much. Or maybe he is and Rod is hindering him.

His primary issue is he has cement legs and the league keeps getting faster.

His usage wasn't the issue in his development in Montreal if anything the issue was always having him in the league at 18 and 19

 

[GrandBison]

Thanks for bringing back that thread. Now he's going to score 3 on December 28th.

 

[JianYang]

I've been thinking the canes should make a big splash to address that top 6 center for a long time now.

Last year, they didn't do it but with the way the injuries ended up, maybe it was a blessing.

This year, I think they ought to take that plunge and see what happens.

If kotaknkemi takes a step forward, then you got really strong depth at center. If he doesn't move forward, then you got an insurance policy.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Thanks for the bump, he really needed that.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

His usage wasn't the issue in his development in Montreal if anything the issue was always having him in the league at 18 and 19

Sounds familiar

 

[Breakfast of Champs]

Not even top 10 in scoring on the hurricanes, what a disappointing season after what initially looked like a big step forward.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Not even top 10 in scoring on the hurricanes, what a disappointing season after what initially looked like a big step forward.

He’s got 1 g 0 a in the past 10, he’s doing fine.

 

[Jamaican Patty]

He’s got 1 g 0 a in the past 10, he’s doing fine.

He’s playing like a true 1C lol

 

[Breakfast of Champs]

Not a bad comparison, Coyle is a lot older without much upside and has a higher cap hit but on the ice today I'd say they're close in terms of impact.

Coyle is definitely much better

 

[North Cole]

Still can't believe his contract goes to 2030.

 

[Not The One]

Every year in Montréal he had these stretches of 1-2 pt in a month but at least he wasn't counted on to be a 2nd line C. And I see he got less than 10 minutes of ice time in each of the last two games. You can bet fans would be howling about that here.

 

[Montreal Shadow]

I looked like a damn genius for picking him up for my fantasy team in the later rounds. Seems like Kotkaniemi is determined to make me look like an idiot.

 

[Canadiens Ghost]

Still can't believe his contract goes to 2030.

He made out like a bandit.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

He's looked like a true 1C for much of the season, including tonight. Could very easily have 3-4 points with some luck, has created a ton of chances for himself and teammates.

This whole deal has worked out better than the hurricanes could have ever hoped. What a steal to have him on the contract he's on.

Oof.

With that said, the Aho-Kotkaniemi sagas will never not make me laugh.

Habs fans acted like complete baboons during the Aho saga just to have Canes fans act utterly stupid and pontificate on a player they knew nothing about when they signed Kotkaniemi.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Oof.

Before he was injured, he was very much playing like a low end 1C.

The only oof is Habs fans coming in here to critique a guy playing through injury because they're upset that they lost a young top 6C for nothing.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Before he was injured, he was very much playing like a low end 1C.

The only oof is Habs fans coming in here to critique a guy playing through injury because they're upset that they lost a young top 6C for nothing.

Between Gaudreau and Kotkaniemi, I don't blame you for being this salty.

I don't care about losing Kotkaniemi and wouldn't have thought about this if not for this thread. I think Montreal fully deserved what happened there. I'm just not going to pretend like your post wasn't dumb as hell though.

 

[57special]

Coyle is definitely much better

Coyle is WAY stronger, and was even when he was younger.

 

[ole ole]

Between Gaudreau and Kotkaniemi, I don't blame you for being this salty.

I don't care about losing Kotkaniemi and wouldn't have thought about this if not for this thread. I think Montreal fully deserved what happened there. I'm just not going to pretend like your post wasn't dumb as hell though.

I don't know who was being salty but this is one Hab fan that doesn't miss KK

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Between Gaudreau and Kotkaniemi, I don't blame you for being this salty.

I don't care about losing Kotkaniemi and wouldn't have thought about this if not for this thread. I think Montreal fully deserved what happened there. I'm just not going to pretend like your post wasn't dumb as hell though.

You mean when he was leading the Canes in scoring through the first month of the season, he wasn't playing like a 1C?

Once he returns to full health, this will again be a fun thread to bump. BTW Gaudreau has 14 points in his last 14 games, and is again leading the Jackets in scoring.

 

[CascadiaPuck]

Proactiv might help with that.

 

[StreetHawk]

I've been thinking the canes should make a big splash to address that top 6 center for a long time now.

Last year, they didn't do it but with the way the injuries ended up, maybe it was a blessing.

This year, I think they ought to take that plunge and see what happens.

If kotaknkemi takes a step forward, then you got really strong depth at center. If he doesn't move forward, then you got an insurance policy.

If KK was drafted where he was really ranked going into 2018 draft like from 10 onwards, he would be considered doing fine.

But at #3, and given he was drafted ahead of Brady Tkachuck and Quinn Hughes, it was a big time whiff going for position vs BPA. Only if 2 players are virtually equal in upside, should you allow position to impact your decision.

Carolina, they are a team that has operated with a money ball mindset, of getting value per dollar spent. Low to basically no acquisition cost for Patches and Burns last season for over $12.2 mill in cap commitment. But, was that the best use of $12 mill in cap space, given the age of their roster and being one of the better teams in the NHL the past couple of seasons? If they are not planning on extending any of their veteran Dmen like Pesce, Skjei this season and then Slavin next season, that really changes their Dcore. Throw in $4.8 mill for KK, that is legit #2C money there when factoring in the 8 year term and guaranteed money given what he had accomplished up to that point in time. Carolina can still get out of the deal at a 1/3 buyout since he's still just 24 this off-season.

 

[Lshap]

I looked like a damn genius for picking him up for my fantasy team in the later rounds. Seems like Kotkaniemi is determined to make me look like an idiot.

You and your fantasy pick jinxed him. Canes are pissed. Get ready for Tom Dundon to offersheet your girlfriend.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Before he was injured, he was very much playing like a low end 1C.

The only oof is Habs fans coming in here to critique a guy playing through injury because they're upset that they lost a young top 6C for nothing.

Kotkaniemi, who's scored more than 34 pts only once in 6 seasons, is a top 6 center

Other than a couple of posters mentioning it here, there's nothing online about Kotkaniemi playing through an injury, but even if it was the case, it doesn't justify having 3 pts in his last 23 games.

There's also nothing shocking about Kotkaniemi going through huge stretches of poor play. He does that every season.

This season: 3 pts in 23 games and counting

22-23: 3 pts in 23 games

21-22: 4 pts in 18 games, then another 3 pts in 20 games stretch. Also 1 pt in 13 games in the playoffs.

20-21: 1 pt in 19 games

19-20: 5 pts in 28 games

18-19: 5 pts in 17 games, then another 2 pts in 14 games