I don't think he was much better, if at all to be honest, but my memory and later bias may affect my judgment. Wasn't it a shortened season? That's a pretty significant advantage. Also, didn't he play wing? Anyways, I have a much higher opinion on Kotkaniemi due to hockey sense alone. I think he's going to be a very good player. He's just incredibly raw physically at the moment which affects every aspect of his game. He has pretty impressive defensive understanding of the game for an 18 year old, but can't win puck battles. He's a natural cycle player, but can't hold onto the puck if his life depended on it. It will straighten up in time.