Player Discussion Jesperi Kotkaniemi - Part 10

[Treb]

We’ve stooged this kid so far. What are his options when his ELC runs out? This is f***ing embarrassing... again!

Technically speaking, I believe he is eligible to offer sheets. Not that I believe he would sign them or that we wouldn't match any outside of complete dumb ones.

 

[Habs Halifax]

That has to be one of the most most f***ed up texts I have ever read about player development.

Player development? More like player distraction

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

I mean what of the media in regards to Kotkaniemi? He had 8 points last season. They should be asking questions and grilling him. Those are putrid numbers - Nate Thompson produced at the same rate.

Watching the games many times I thought Julien was developing Nate tho

 

[le_sean]

Watching the games many times I thought Julien was developing Nate tho

Except their zone starts were the complete reversal. KK had 61% OZS and Nate had 61% DZS. So clearly he's putting KK in a role to try to create offence whereas Nate is expected to win those DZ faceoffs, which is his only role.

No matter how we spin it, 8 points on 13 mins of icetime with almost 2/3 of your zone starts being in the offensive zone is bad. He also had the worst PP stats on the team in terms of possession and GF/60. At some point he himself is to blame rather than the coach.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Except their zone starts were the complete reversal. KK had 61% OZS and Nate had 61% DZS. So clearly he's putting KK in a role to try to create offence whereas Nate is expected to win those DZ faceoffs, which is his only role.

No matter how we spin it, 8 points on 13 mins of icetime with almost 2/3 of your zone starts being in the offensive zone is bad. He also had the worst PP stats on the team in terms of possession and GF/60. At some point he himself is to blame rather than the coach.

More like sheltering Kotkaniemi from the defensive zone IMO. Kotkaniemi is learning on the job in the NHL which is the issue.

 

[ahmedou]

That's how to RIP a prospect 101:

 

[Hins77]

The real problem is. Players whos starting in the NHL at 18/19 yeArs old like KK are most of the time. « Generationnal player ». The probleme here, KK isnt a generational player. So we have too accept his mistake and the guy should learn about it. I expect to see KK in the futur like a second line forward at center. In comparison. Mikko Koivu started in the NHL at 22 years. And put 21 points. KK 34 at 18 years. The outbreak should be soon. Maybe max 1 year or two. After that. We will be able draw his futur

 

[DAChampion]

I mean what of the media in regards to Kotkaniemi? He had 8 points last season. They should be asking questions and grilling him. Those are putrid numbers - Nate Thompson produced at the same rate.

You seriously think that the media should be grilling Kotkaniemi?

 

[LaP]

The real problem is. Players whos starting in the NHL at 18/19 yeArs old like KK are most of the time. « Generationnal player ». The probleme here, KK isnt a generational player. So we have too accept his mistake and the guy should learn about it. I expect to see KK in the futur like a second line forward at center. In comparison. Mikko Koivu started in the NHL at 22 years. And put 21 points. KK 34 at 18 years. The outbreak should be soon. Maybe max 1 year or two. After that. We will be able draw his futur

JK being a 2nd line player would be a big miss. He's a 3rd overall pick if he's not a difference maker it's a bad pick. Guys having a big impact usually start doing so at 21-22-23. He'll be 20 next year we should start to see some progress into the 40 points at least. If not it's going to be worrisome.

 

[Supersonic]

“I don’t know why players don’t want to play in Montreal”

“Let’s publicly attack our star prospects because they’re not carrying us at 19 years old”

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

JK being a 2nd line player would be a big miss. He's a 3rd overall pick if he's not a difference maker it's a bad pick. Guys having a big impact usually start doing so at 21-22-23. He'll be 20 next year we should start to see some progress into the 40 points at least. If not it's going to be worrisome.

It really depends. Tkachuk and Hughes as of now look like the better picks and could very well be at the end of the day but if KK plays a very good 2nd fiddle to a proper 1C in Suzuki I don't think I can call that a 'big miss'.

I like Danault but I wouldn't necessarily want him as my #2 if I want to be a contender. KK has way more potential to fill that role than Danault. It's hard for me to knock us trying to build around the C position. He could easily be in that spot where he's a #2 by default and could actually be a #1 on a lot of teams. It's a nice problem to have. It just gives you more options imo.

 

[le_sean]

You seriously think that the media should be grilling Kotkaniemi?

I think they have the right to question his upside after such a bad season.

When I say grill I don’t mean “hey you better pick it up you POS.” More like “what went wrong and what will you do to improve”

 

[le_sean]

“I don’t know why players don’t want to play in Montreal”

“Let’s publicly attack our star prospects because they’re not carrying us at 19 years old”

We’ve already seen a 3rd overall centre prospect fail to live up to expectations quite recently and even he never had as bad of a season as KK just had. I can understand why the media is concerned.

 

[Hins77]

JK being a 2nd line player would be a big miss. He's a 3rd overall pick if he's not a difference maker it's a bad pick. Guys having a big impact usually start doing so at 21-22-23. He'll be 20 next year we should start to see some progress into the 40 points at least. If not it's going to be worrisome.

You will possibly to be a little upset. I really don’t see him like a top-line. first center. Hes gonna produce like 60/70 points imo. Jordan staal been selected at 2nd position. I think we over evaluate the draft. When im reading most of people here. The top 10 is suppose to be all of 1st liner or 1st pairing dman. Most of the time. There is few top notch player. The rest become 2nd line player

 

[LaP]

You will possibly to be a little upset. I really don’t see him like a top-line. first center. Hes gonna produce like 60/70 points imo. Jordan staal been selected at 2nd position. I think we over evaluate the draft. When im reading most of people here. The top 10 is suppose to be all of 1st liner or 1st pairing dman. Most of the time. There is few top notch player. The rest become 2nd line player

Staal was a pretty big miss for the pens. Toews and Backstrom were drafted right behind him.

 

[Paddyjack]

I mean what of the media in regards to Kotkaniemi? He had 8 points last season. They should be asking questions and grilling him. Those are putrid numbers - Nate Thompson produced at the same rate.

I seem to recall the media asking a lot of questions about his lack of progression last season. Why do it again?

 

[ahmedou]

I'm a simple man, I see KK smilling, I click.

 

[Kwikwi]

media dont like youth

 

[Video Coach]

The nice thing about this roster and KK's role is although he is projected as a top 2 centre, he really doesn't need to be that for the team yet. Suzuki and Danault are pretty good bets as top 2 centres for the future. One thing you don't want to do is give up on a guy like KK because you don't like how quickly he's progressing.

Bigger centres do take a long time. One player to consider would be Mika Zibanjed. Played 9 games in his D+1 year, split time between AHL and NHL in his D+2, then progressed slowly over the next 3 seasons. Sens got impatient and traded him for Brassard, who was the more established centre at the time.

Mika Zibanejad Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

In his 7th season in the league (not counting the 9 game trial in his D+1) he finally broke out for 74 pts, then this season he has 75 pts in 57 games and is now, in his 8th full season, a true, #1 centre.

I don't think it's going to take KK 8 seasons to get there, but the point is there should be no rush for KK. If he takes 4-5 seasons to become a true #1 or #2 centre that is OK. Please be patient!

 

[ahmedou]

Continue to be the first one to come and the last one to leave the rink

 

[Scriptor]

media dont like youth

Julien should move on to a media job, then.

 

[le_sean]

Staal was a pretty big miss for the pens. Toews and Backstrom were drafted right behind him.

Staal was not a miss at all. He was the perfect 3C for the Pens. Backstrom and Toews wouldn’t have developed the same if they were playing 3rd line minutes and expected to shutdown opponents.

I get drafting BPA but when you have two franchise altering centres, you can take liberties and draft for need.

 

[WeThreeKings]

 

[Scriptor]

He seems to really dwarf the other players he's on the ice against. Either he's gotten genuinely bigger (did he grow a half inch, maybe, and is closer to 6'3" now?) or it's just the sad state of affairs about the team's overall size.

 

[WeThreeKings]

He seems to really dwarf the other players he's on the ice against. Either he's gotten genuinely bigger (did he grow a half inch, maybe, and is closer to 6'3" now?) or it's just the sad state of affairs about the team's overall size.

Hes a tall kid, wouldnt be surprised if he grew a bit. The skating is encouraging there, that's the smoothest I've seen him look. Prior to that it was skill and IQ flashing with his bambi physical skills.