Player Discussion Jesperi Kotkaniemi (Part 15) Rise of the Wolverine Edition!

[Cobra Commander]

Artwork by Runner77

I’ll wait for Runner to come back and change this meme, after that fight Kotka is the f***ing Wolverine!

Click to read more...

 

[Cobra Commander]

He gets knocked down, but he gets up again, you are never gonna keep him down

 

[The Great Weal]

He was great for the majority of the season last year, he forced Juliens son Plekanec to retire. This year he should have been in the AHL, but he was more than good enough last year.

 

[Cobra Commander]

He was great for the majority of the season last year, he forced Juliens son Plekanec to retire. This year he should have been in the AHL, but he was more than good enough last year.

Wouldn’t that be viewed as a demotion or a punishment to go from NHL to AHL? Yes he did well last season but we all know he didn’t belong here and the only reason he was here is because Bergevin was desperate to distract us from criticizing the team he has assembled. Thank god this kid seems to be mentally strong.

 

[Habs Icing]

KK is one of many reasons I want Timmins gone.

Last year and before the start of this year I convinced myself that KK could be a decent #2. I no longer think that. His skating is beyond terrible and his puckhandling is erratic to put it politely. What had me fooled last year was his defensive play. Well, this year even that aspect of his game has vanished. KK is another of Timmins top draft picks. One big painful eyesore. I know there will be many of this kid's fans who will vilify me but i don't care. This kid can't skate and can't handle the puck. At 19 there's just too much to work on just to make him a viable NHLer let alone a star as many are still pretending. WTF did the scouting staff see in him.

 

[The Great Weal]

Wouldn’t that be viewed as a demotion or a punishment to go from NHL to AHL? Yes he did well last season but we all know he didn’t belong here and the only reason he was here is because Bergevin was desperate to distract us from criticizing the team he has assembled. Thank god this kid seems to be mentally strong.

How did he not belong here? He was putting up great numbers for someone his age and his play was substantially better. His play definitely dipped near the end of the season. While I dont agree with the benching and scratching, you cant deny this drop in performance. This year hes been really bad overall.

 

[Cobra Commander]

KK is one of many reasons I want Timmins gone.

Last year and before the start of this year I convinced myself that KK could be a decent #2. I no longer think that. His skating is beyond terrible and his puckhandling is erratic to put it politely. What had me fooled last year was his defensive play. Well, this year even that aspect of his game has vanished. KK is another of Timmins top draft picks. One big painful eyesore. I know there will be many of this kid's fans who will vilify me but i don't care. This kid can't skate and can't handle the puck. At 19 there's just too much to work on just to make him a viable NHLer let alone a star as many are still pretending. WTF did the scouting staff see in him.

They obviously drafted for need, I think we are not as high on him this season because we believe we found our new shiny toy #1 C in Suzuki, and we’ve kind of put KK back on the shelf.

He’s obviously having the “sophomore slump” this season, but we knew he was gonna be a project, and what he showed last season was very impressive.

I still believe that in 2-3 more seasons he’s really gonna take off and become a solid 2 way #2C, he’s very skilled, when his body matures watch out.

 

[The Great Weal]

what he showed last season was very impressive.

So if he was very impressive, why should they send him down?

 

[Cobra Commander]

How did he not belong here? He was putting up great numbers for someone his age and his play was substantially better. His play definitely dipped near the end of the season. While I dont agree with the benching and scratching, you cant deny this drop in performance. This year hes been really bad overall.

He did very well last season. But he was too young and we took a risk, he could of been injured. My plan for him would have been to play for his father last season and this season, I would have sent a coach over there to help him work on his skating. Let him become the #1C over there. Next season 20-21 I would have started him in the AHL and see if he can dominate there first.

 

[CHarlie]

He handles the puck like it's a hot potatoe. I want to see him keep the puck and use his body more to protect it to make a play.....thats what I would be coaching him to do

 

[Habs Icing]

They obviously drafted for need, I think we are not as high on him this season because we believe we found our new shiny toy #1 C in Suzuki, and we’ve kind of put KK back on the shelf.

He’s obviously having the “sophomore slump” this season, but we knew he was gonna be a project, and what he showed last season was very impressive.

I still believe that in 2-3 more seasons he’s really gonna take off and become a solid 2 way #2C, he’s very skilled, when his body matures watch out.

I wasn't very impressed with him last year. At the time I thought he would become a decent #2 C. I no longer think that and Suzuki has nothing to do with my opinion. I look at his skating and his puckhandling and try very very hard not to get in my car and hunt down Timmins and give him an earful.

 

[Cobra Commander]

So if he was very impressive, why should they send him down?

We’re lucky he didn’t get hurt last season, that’s the way I see it, we played with fire, we didn’t get burned. Now it’s too late to send him anywhere.

 

[417]

These posts are going to be hilarious to look at a few years from now...

This fanbase SCREAMS rebuild every day here but they have ZERO patience.

Then y'all wonder why the team refuses to acknowledge a rebuild.

 

[SOLR]

KK is one of many reasons I want Timmins gone.

Last year and before the start of this year I convinced myself that KK could be a decent #2. I no longer think that. His skating is beyond terrible and his puckhandling is erratic to put it politely. What had me fooled last year was his defensive play. Well, this year even that aspect of his game has vanished. KK is another of Timmins top draft picks. One big painful eyesore. I know there will be many of this kid's fans who will vilify me but i don't care. This kid can't skate and can't handle the puck. At 19 there's just too much to work on just to make him a viable NHLer let alone a star as many are still pretending. WTF did the scouting staff see in him.

I know exactly what they saw and he's not showing it much now. He was rushed, it's not always the person making the pick, there's this thing called development.

 

[Hfbsux]

Food for thought:

Only Poehling, Hudon, Leskinen, Peca, Weise, Barber, Vejdemo, Oloffson have less ice time per game than KK.

 

[Hannibal]

Food for thought:

Only Poehling, Hudon, Leskinen, Peca, Weise, Barber, Vejdemo, Oloffson have less ice time per game than KK.

He doesn’t show anything to deserve more ice time.

 

[Roadhouse]

He doesn’t show anything to deserve more ice time.

Whereas Suzuki in October and November and then December....... well, he did. Big time.

 

[Habs Icing]

I know exactly what they saw and he's not showing it much now. He was rushed, it's not always the person making the pick, there's this thing called development.

That's funny. I don't remember anyone claiming they rushed him last year. And I don't understand how being rushed could affect his skating and puckhandling. They would be just as bad in the AHL.

 

[Habs Halifax]

KK is one of many reasons I want Timmins gone.

Last year and before the start of this year I convinced myself that KK could be a decent #2. I no longer think that. His skating is beyond terrible and his puckhandling is erratic to put it politely. What had me fooled last year was his defensive play. Well, this year even that aspect of his game has vanished. KK is another of Timmins top draft picks. One big painful eyesore. I know there will be many of this kid's fans who will vilify me but i don't care. This kid can't skate and can't handle the puck. At 19 there's just too much to work on just to make him a viable NHLer let alone a star as many are still pretending. WTF did the scouting staff see in him.

Too premature. Lets bookmark this and re-visit it when Kotkaniemi is 21. I'm flabbergasted on how so many good and knowledgeable Habs fans have forgot that we drafted him as a long term prospect.

 

[26Mats]

He doesn’t show anything to deserve more ice time.

Management is still pushing to make the playoffs.

If I were them he'd be in Junior now - and only go to the A once he's dominated Junior.

Since they've decided to do whatever it takes to make the playoffs, if I were them, as soon as they believe we're out of the playoff picture, I'd do as above - send him down to Junior and then bring him up to Laval. Give him some time to develop.

 

[japhi]

These posts are going to be hilarious to look at a few years from now...

This fanbase SCREAMS rebuild every day here but they have ZERO patience.

Then y'all wonder why the team refuses to acknowledge a rebuild.

Agreed. And they lack context - a ton of young hyped prospects are underperforming. Kaako, Hughes, Glass, Dach, Brown, etc. The rc scoring leader is 24 ffs.

It seems to take most players with his frame a few years to get going. Thornton, the Sedins.

I see a guy that knows where to be on the ice, battles hard, and has all the pieces but they cake isn’t fully set. Which it almost never is for 19 yo players.

 

[Habs Halifax]

These posts are going to be hilarious to look at a few years from now...

This fanbase SCREAMS rebuild every day here but they have ZERO patience.

Then y'all wonder why the team refuses to acknowledge a rebuild.

100% true. Some of our fan base makes fun of the Leafs fan base but we are no different. We are so trendy as a whole and it's comical.

 

[japhi]

I know exactly what they saw and he's not showing it much now. He was rushed, it's not always the person making the pick, there's this thing called development.

Alternative theory: part of this thing called development is allowing young players to find their way without shitting on them. Development does not necessarily equal riding a bus in the AHL playing with inferior players, facilities, trainers. As if two minutes more pg in the AHL is an amazing dev plan.

 

[DangerDave]

He gets knocked down, but he gets up again, you are never gonna keep him down

Except if your name is Zadorov

 

[Hfbsux]

He doesn’t show anything to deserve more ice time.

Still not the right way to develop young prospect. He is struggling and not in a position to succeed at 19 yrs old.