Will this guy ever score a goal?
Good grief. He is the youngest player in the NHL. I hope you didn't expect a 60 point season...Nope, the Habs took the wrong guy. I am not impressed at all. He is at the bottom of the team statistics almost every night.
Nope, the Habs took the wrong guy. I am not impressed at all. He is at the bottom of the team statistics almost every night.
See, you're constantly missing the mark with these awful examples. Add the mocking and really the issue here is you're just not interested in a genuine conversation about the subject, so you're not reading what people are writing.
Obviously, if you take an established A team and send them against B teams then that team will be wholly unprepared coming back into the playoffs against A teams.
Nobody's asking an established NHLer like Max Domi to get some more seasonning down in the AHL for the playoff run.
I'm personally watching a player who played well (but not exceptional) in AA asked to jump up to AAA star all while showing signs of needing work. And by that I mean even learning how to get open, which is freaking important skill that makes not only you, but all of your teammates that much less effective. Had he destroyed AA then you wouldn't hear anyone ask themselves if this is the optimal route. And the reasons are obvious: he'd have already shown that he's beyond that stage.
Get it ? Optimal. Not "only". Meaning the NHL is an option and no, staying does not mean he'll bust even if he's rushed. But the question here is if its the best option seeing the current weaknesses in his game, the lack of need to have him up and how this management has a history of improperly deploying and developing its prospects.
Now, I respect your argument about needing to develop the skill to get open. I did think about it. Trouble is, I don't believe you best develop that skill playing weaker opponents on bigger ice. You develop it the hard way, playing and learning at the highest level.
Need a gif of that backhand spin pass
I believe there's been 2-3 times when Kotka has been wide open but no one is even looking at him.
I don't think it's a black/white decision, but as we approach game 9, his usage and production suggests playing in Finland might be the better option.
Tough call either way.
I’ve been saying this since game 1.Armia.......he had kk open all night long again and he don't want to pass him the puck and when he does....it's 5 feet in front of kk.
Jees armia is bad
Huh?what?? Watch the game dude.guy is doing great for an 18 yr old.he s patient , defensively responsible and creates a ton offensively.guaranteed he stays .as he should.I don't know that it's "skill" that he needs to develop (beyond his own progressions from the work he does in practice and in the offseason)...
It's more the head space that is the concern. Developing the confidence to dominate is what we want to see in him, and I'm not so sure that, given his current state, he develops that as well playing 10-13min/night in sheltered minutes in the NHL vs playing likely 20+min/night in a league where his level of play today will allow him to perform at a top line level nightly...
I don't think it's a black/white decision, but as we approach game 9, his usage and production suggests playing in Finland might be the better option.
Tough call either way.
He could play center for us, management just didn't want to.How come he couldn't play C for us then? And don't tell me about some anti-russian bias when we drafted the guy for that role...
A ton?..No.Huh?what?? Watch the game dude.guy is doing great for an 18 yr old.he s patient , defensively responsible and creates a ton offensively.guaranteed he stays .as he should.
I don't mind him playing with Armia/Byron to at least start his rookie year, both very good defensive players which takes a bit of a load off KK but also means he's not having to get the DD sheltering treatment so he's getting experience in all situations which is better for his development than putting up some extra points with all O-zone starts. The better wingers will come. Would like to see a bit more PP time but 1st unit seems to be drifting way past the half mark so he's only getting the last 30 secs or so
Actually you do it both ways, and to me it's pretty clear he'd still gain quite a bit from playing at a lesser level.Now, I respect your argument about needing to develop the skill to get open. I did think about it. Trouble is, I don't believe you best develop that skill playing weaker opponents on bigger ice. You develop it the hard way, playing and learning at the highest level.
I agree. I was at the game. He is getting open, and he really does want the puck. I saw him come into the slot and slam his stick down hard to signal to the passer (byron?) that he was open but his teamate opted to take the perimeter shot instead. I love byron, but there’s a reason he’s not an elite player— he has tunnel vision sometimes. Kotka needs a really skilled winger that can read the game similarly to him.