Player Discussion Jesperi Kotkaniemi Part IV

[Mrb1p]

So...he's not as good of a prospect as Pettersson. So what?

Says who?

 

[Mrb1p]

The hype is getting a bit out of control. The guy lacks speed, strength, elite puck skills. Look at Pettersson and tell me Kotka has that upside. Not trying to be a Debbie downer here.

How would you know? You thought Poehling was the best C outside the NHL last year.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

Says who?

Well, I think so, for one. And most of HFboards would probably agree. I don't know why that matters. Doesn't mean Kotkaniemi isn't a great prospect. I'll gladly be wrong about this, but we won't know for a few years.

 

[Andrei79]

Says who?

Anyone whos watched Pettersson.

 

[Andrei79]

Well, I think so, for one. And most of HFboards would probably agree. I don't know why that matters. Doesn't mean Kotkaniemi isn't a great prospect. I'll gladly be wrong about this, but we won't know for a few years.

One thing about Kotka though is he thinks the game at a similar level and they do both play very much alike. What Kotka lacks in puck skills ans creativity compared to Pettersson, he might one day make up for it with size and strength. That said, its an easier sell than Necas > Pettersson, but still a tough sell.

 

[Habs]

LOL...no.

Look, I've been looking at Jesperi since last December. I had him 3rd before the whole of HFBoards. I'm pretty high on him.

Stop with the nonsense comparisons. Jesperi will be Jesperi. He's much taller, bigger, than Jonathan, but he doesn't have Toews foot speed or shifty stick handling. They are very different players.

Mats Sundin has been my comparison since the start.

I don't see an ounce of Sundin in the kid.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

How would you know? You thought Poehling was the best C outside the NHL last year.

North American center prospect.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

So...he's not as good of a prospect as Pettersson. So what?

Did you read the post I quoted? Guy said Kotkas ceiling is higher than anyone outside of Sid, McDavid, Ovechkin and Geno.

 

[SakuKoivu11]

Jesperi Kotkaniemi reminds me a lot of a young Joe Niewendyk. Good two way Center.

 

[BB88]

The hype is getting a bit out of control. The guy lacks speed, strength, elite puck skills. Look at Pettersson and tell me Kotka has that upside. Not trying to be a Debbie downer here.

Pettersson is closer to 2 years older than Kotka.
Kotka already was taking extra skating workouts this summer, in few years he'll look different I bet.

Anyways Kotka is going to be more of a 2way C in the model of Barkov.

 

[FrankMTL]

It's tough to compare him to anybody at the moment as he's only 18 and still developing. Most of the players we're comparing him to were still playing in Europe, Juniors or NCAA at his age. At the speed he's been developing, it's hard to say where he will be at this point next year. He's been developing at Ludicrous Speed in the last 8-10 months.

 

[417]

Not sure how you can say he lacks elite puck skills... Have you watched him?

For any player to move in/out of, and create, space the way he dies with the pucknon his stick demands elite puck control... Let alone an 18 year old playing in his first dozen games.

Let's see what his strength & speed look like in 14 months before getting caught up in physical comparisons to Pettersson, or anyone else for that matter.

Heck, I'm still not fully convinced the NHL is the best spot for him this year, and would fully expect he'll hit a wall, and slump badly at some point in the season, as the grind takes its toll.

Would he not hit that same proverbial wall if he didn't play in the NHL this year and came over next year? Same thing with hitting a slump.

15yr veterans hit slumps, why would keeping him away from the NHL make him less likely to hit a slump?

I'm not being sarcastic btw, truly curious to get your point of view on this as it's something i've often seen repeated and i'm not quite sure I get the logic behind it.

But potential-wise? Like Galch when he broke in, JKO is showing glimpses of being a truly elite player.... Let's just hope we don't ruin his development curve the way we did with Galch.

Maybe i'm forgetting Galchenyuk's rookie year, but i'm seeing more involvement in all 3 zones with Kotkaniemi than I ever did with Galchenyuk.

I saw maybe more natural finishing ability with Galchenyuk, but otherwise, I've found Kotkaniemi better prepared.

Perhaps that's just recency bias at play though.

 

[Mrb1p]

Would he not hit that same proverbial wall if he didn't play in the NHL this year and came over next year? Same thing with hitting a slump.

15yr veterans hit slumps, why would keeping him away from the NHL make him less likely to hit a slump?

I'm not being sarcastic btw, truly curious to get your point of view on this as it's something i've often seen repeated and i'm not quite sure I get the logic behind it.


Maybe i'm forgetting Galchenyuk's rookie year, but i'm seeing more involvement in all 3 zones with Kotkaniemi than I ever did with Galchenyuk.

I saw maybe more natural finishing ability with Galchenyuk, but otherwise, I've found Kotkaniemi better prepared.

Perhaps that's just recency bias at play though.

Theres more to hockey than just being reliable in all three zones.

 

[417]

Theres more to hockey than just being reliable in all three zones.

Ok???

 

[overlords]

Theres more to hockey than just being reliable in all three zones.

Attitude?

 

[gillyguzzler]

Right now, I don't care to compare him to anyone else. I'm just enjoying watching him play and improving.

Last night, he showed much improved aggressiveness and quickness.

I don't expect 80 points from him and I don't expect him to play 20 minutes on the first line. I just want him to keep improving.

 

[Belial]

Why Kotka can't just be Kotka? And in a couple of years, rookies will be compared to Kotka?

 

[Mrb1p]

Attitude?

The four pillars to build a team

Attitude
Karakter
Attitude
Carey Price

 

[Habaneros]

2018 2nd pick...

Andrei Svechnikov 3 goals 5pts..14 games



2018 3rd pick

Jesperi Kotkaniemi 2 goals 7pts ..14 games

 

[Frank Drebin]

Pettersson is closer to 2 years older than Kotka.
Kotka already was taking extra skating workouts this summer, in few years he'll look different I bet.

Anyways Kotka is going to be more of a 2way C in the model of Barkov.

Still, Petterson is looking to have the potential of being the second best player in the world. I'll be happy with young Bobby being a top ten center

 

[Hfbsux]

Theres more to hockey than just being reliable in all three zones.

For a center?

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

Step 1: Overrate our prospects.
Step 2: Blame management when they don’t reach expectations.
Step 3: Repeat.

 

[JeffreyLFC]

Why compairing Petersson and Kotkaniemi?
Both can be great.

As for Kotkaniemi he has the skills and he posseses the size this is a rare combo in todays NHL focusing more on speed and skills. He is still one of the youngest prospect from thw 2018 draft class and his growth has been great the past few months. Nothing tell us what he can become in 1 year or 4 years from now. I don't care who he compares to or what he can achieve if he becomes a dominant 2 way center for thw next decade or so we should all be happy about that.

 

[Belial]

Step 1: Overrate our prospects.
Step 2: Blame management when they don’t reach expectations.
Step 3: Repeat.

Blame Lefebvre! fixed that for you...

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

One thing about Kotka though is he thinks the game at a similar level and they do both play very much alike. What Kotka lacks in puck skills ans creativity compared to Pettersson, he might one day make up for it with size and strength. That said, its an easier sell than Necas > Pettersson, but still a tough sell.

This reminds me the old "PK will never be as good as Doughty" debate.