Player Discussion Jesperi Kotkaniemi Part IV

[Cobra Commander]

Armia is litterally creating more offence than Kotkaniemi at this point. Case in point is the goal Byron scored yesterday, all the posts about what a play by Kotka yet it was Armias play that made that goal.

Armia makes some nice plays, but more mediocre or bad ones. Kotka makes the right decisions with the puck almost every play, and is able to anticipate plays on defense. The duo is a mismatch. Byron on the other hand could be a nice fit..

Byron-Kotka-Lehky ?

 

[417]

He may not have the top wingers, be played in the most critical junctures (example: faceoffs in the D-Zone) or have the most advantageous ice time on PP or in OT -- so long as there is no drop in his TOI, I don't see any issues with how the coach chooses to deploy him. It's only Year One of what should be a long and successful career and there is absolutely no harm in bringing him along in a controlled manner.

Other than 1 game vs the Pens, he's played no less than 14:10 and no more than 15:10.

So his ice time has been pretty consistent, I think they've handled him very well.

 

[Runner77]

Other than 1 game vs the Pens, he's played no less than 14:10 and no more than 15:10.

So his ice time has been pretty consistent, I think they've handled him very well.

They're headed in the right direction in the way they've been handling him. Sometimes, there have been irritants like in the one game where he was made to miss several shifts, but it's part of the learning curve. I agree that on an overall basis, he has not been shortchanged on TOI. Seems to me that fourteen minutes/game is a great minimum baseline for a first year rookie.

 

[tooji]

It's not only TOI that matters but I noticed he was there on the ice with 1:30-1 min left in a tied hockey game in the 3rd period. That shows they are letting him learn in the important situations

 

[Mrb1p]

Normand Flynn was ranting today on radio about Kotkaniemi, when even the pundits agree that he should be playing first line with every opportunity... He argued that they are doing the same mistakes they did with Galchenyuk and that is not the way you develop a superstar.

 

[Redux91]

Normand Flynn was ranting today on radio about Kotkaniemi, when even the pundits agree that he should be playing first line with every opportunity... He argued that they are doing the same mistakes they did with Galchenyuk and that is not the way you develop a superstar.

Luckily, its only normand flynn

 

[Tyson]

Which scouts had him outside the top 10 ? I'm not talking about agencies here, but real NHL scouts. I'be only heard of them being high on him and he was no.5 on Bob McKenzies rankings (a consensus of 10 scouts, of which 8 are their teams head scout).

He was all over the map. Like you said BM had him at 5 and I read that he was outside the top 10 by some scouts. Most had him around 8. He obviously deserves being picked at 3

 

[Tyson]

It's not only TOI that matters but I noticed he was there on the ice with 1:30-1 min left in a tied hockey game in the 3rd period. That shows they are letting him learn in the important situations

He played in OT as well. I prefer he plays with Byron in OT instead of Armia however

 

[Kotkaniemi15]

They should give him a chance with Tatar and Gallagher. I don't like him with Armia at all. They should be giving him every chance. Hopefully CJ shakes up the lines after an awful loss.

 

[Runner77]

It's not only TOI that matters but I noticed he was there on the ice with 1:30-1 min left in a tied hockey game in the 3rd period. That shows they are letting him learn in the important situations

Of course it's not all TOI that matters, but it begins there. You can't justify keeping a high upside young player like that if he doesn't get a reasonable baseline TOI.

Added responsibilities need to be dosed and the coaching staff is doing a good job of that.

 

[greyboy67]

Normand Flynn was ranting today on radio about Kotkaniemi, when even the pundits agree that he should be playing first line with every opportunity... He argued that they are doing the same mistakes they did with Galchenyuk and that is not the way you develop a superstar.

Not comparable at all. Outside of both of them being #3 picks, the two players are nothing alike.

I agree with 417; they're handling the kid in the right way. The kid's getting used to playing in the NHL, without the pressure of being the #1 Center—a job that Kotkaniemi will eventually own for the next decade or so.

Even though he's on the third line and has only 3 points, J2K is already the linchpin of the Habs roster. You take him out of the equation and it throws all the lines out of whack, with the possible exception of the Gallagher's Tuna Casserole line.

 

[Mrb1p]

Not comparable at all. Outside of both of them being #3 picks, the two players are nothing alike.

I agree with 417; they're handling the kid in the right way. The kid's getting used to playing in the NHL, without the pressure of being the #1 Center—a job that Kotkaniemi will eventually own for the next decade or so.

Even though he's on the third line and has only 3 points, J2K is already the linchpin of the Habs roster. You take him out of the equation and it throws all the lines out of whack, with the possible exception of the Gallagher's Tuna Casserole line.

Galchenyuk played on the third line with no PP time in his first year too, its literally the same thing.

 

[Goldenhands]

Normand Flynn was ranting today on radio about Kotkaniemi, when even the pundits agree that he should be playing first line with every opportunity... He argued that they are doing the same mistakes they did with Galchenyuk and that is not the way you develop a superstar.

Well I agree with Flynn, its obvious to me that Kotkaniemi lacks the strength to play in this league right now, while the kid doesnt look out of place and is nothing like Galchenyuk, the NHL is a very physical league with a charged calendar, Im not sure his body is ready to handle this and its very risky for bad injuries... Oilers are making the same mistakes year after years with their rookie, I wouldnt make the same and would send him back with Assat where he has the time to work on strengthening his body between 2 games....

 

[The Great Weal]

While he hasn't been bad, he hasn't been playing his game. I understand that he is the youngest player in the league and has to get his feet wet, but I just think the AHL makes a lot more sense. You can always call him up at the deadline when you trade some players.

 

[greyboy67]

Galchenyuk played on the third line with no PP time in his first year too, its literally the same thing.

I said the players are nothing alike—not the situations.

 

[1909]

While he hasn't been bad, he hasn't been playing his game. I understand that he is the youngest player in the league and has to get his feet wet, but I just think the AHL makes a lot more sense. You can always call him up at the deadline when you trade some players.

You can call him up anytime.

 

[The Great Weal]

You can call him up anytime.

True, but I'd rather keep him down there and let him dominate for a good amount of games.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

Think he needs to shorten that stick just an inch or two, still find he bobbles the puck a bit, otherwise, kid is damn good.

 

[1909]

True, but I'd rather keep him down there and let him dominate for a good amount of games.

Of course, but who's gonna play center with the Habs in the meantime ? Domi-Danault-Peca-Shaw ????

 

[tooji]

I think people are a little bit obsessed with "letting him dominate". I understand the rationale, but it is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition in maximizing his development. Let him go to WJC and play a big role like Mete did last year, sure, but I think he can develop fine in the NHL the way he is currently playing and being deployed.

 

[Haburger]

Kid has been great and claude has used him in a very smart way.he s here to stay.

 

[Runner77]

Some of us are really nit-picking when it comes to this player. He should be the least of our concerns. We'll never all agree on what's best for him, however, there is nothing remotely alarming in the way he's being handled.

 

[bsl]

Yeah that’s kind of my thinking as well. This is a non partisan post since I’m a Sens fan but I do enjoy scouting and observing the progression of young players. I really like Kotkaniemi as a C but IMO he should go back to Finland for a year and seriously hit the protein shakes and weight room and come back for next year. Kind of pointless to have him on the roster. You see that the IQ is there, what’s the point of keeping him around if he can’t hang physically?

Actually he needs to eat steak and fish. Protein shakes. Ffs. That’s for office workers doing gym time on the side. Dad post.

 

[Mrb1p]

Some of us are really nit-picking when it comes to this player. He should be the least of our concerns. We'll never all agree on what's best for him, however, there is nothing remotely alarming in the way he's being handled.

He should be all our concern. This organizations future is entirely based on his shoulders. He NEEDS to be an elite 1C.

 

[montreal]

I think people are a little bit obsessed with "letting him dominate". I understand the rationale, but it is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition in maximizing his development. Let him go to WJC and play a big role like Mete did last year, sure, but I think he can develop fine in the NHL the way he is currently playing and being deployed.

I think dominating at a lower level is how I would prefer to develop a prospect. Hockey is not rocket science, you skate, you pass, you shoot for the most part. Hockey is so much mental, so to me getting a players confidence going is not easy, they need to get it for themselves and it's certainly easier to do a level lower. But I think he's made the team and I think it's an unnecessary risk to take with your best hope for the future. A year in Finland wouldn't likely have impacted his development but a tough year in the NHL could. Just don't like the way this team develops talent.

Some of us are really nit-picking when it comes to this player. He should be the least of our concerns. We'll never all agree on what's best for him, however, there is nothing remotely alarming in the way he's being handled.

He's going to be nit-picked, he's by far our best hope of ever getting out of this shit MB has put us in. Not everyone is going to agree what's best for him cause it's impossible to really know, my point is more why risk it when we have been burned so many times doing exactly what they are doing. All the things posters are saying now about how it's fine, he's fine, everything is fine with how they are developing him but all this was said with Galchenyuk as well as others too. I got so much heat early on for questioning Beaulieu's development or Tinordi's or how bad a job Lefebvre was doing. People said everything is fine etc... now of course they don't and say it's because Beaulieu/Tindori suck, Galchenyuk isn't that good, etc.. but at the time they weren't saying that (meaning most around here)

No harm in questioning an organization that has shown it struggles to develop talent over the last 6 years and being concerned that our best hope could be handled if not better in a less risky way cause no matter what we can not screw up this pick cause we may not get another shot at a top 3 due to the new lotto rules.