Injury Report: Jesperi Kotkaniemi (Part IX)

[CHwest]

Sundin was a monster LOL

Was he at 18?

 

[Simarino]

My expectations/hope is a Saku Koivu. If he comes close to what Koivu was with the Habs I'll be a happy camper.

I would honestly be disapointed if he dosnt become more then Saku, i think Koivu was a 2C in a contending team, i hope KK will become a 1C in a contending team.

 

[cphabs]

Was he at 18?

Didn’t mean it like that! Coconut will get there IMO

 

[MSLs absurd thighs]

I would honestly be disapointed if he dosnt become more then Saku, i think Koivu was a 2C in a contending team, i hope KK will become a 1C in a contending team.

You underestimate what a healthy Saku Koivu was capable of. One of the most underrated Habs in history, really. Or your expectations of Kotkaniemi are way too high.
If he becomes a Saku Koivu, it'll have been an awesome pick.

 

[Teufelsdreck]

Nice player but not another Beliveau. Fortunately, the Habs have Poehling and Suzuki. The entr draft was reasonably productive. They'll b reasonably competitive in a year or two, when the Bruins are in a serious rebuilding mode and the Leafs are trying to retain their young stars. In 2023 Bergeron will be 38 years old and Chara will be retired.

 

[Deebs]

You underestimate what a healthy Saku Koivu was capable of. One of the most underrated Habs in history, really. Or your expectations of Kotkaniemi are way too high.
If he becomes a Saku Koivu, it'll have been an awesome pick.

You definitely overrate what Saku was... which was a character driven, decent #2 Centerman and there's nothing wrong with that. I myself have higher expectations for young Kotkaniemi.

 

[Habs Icing]

My expectations/hope is a Saku Koivu. If he comes close to what Koivu was with the Habs I'll be a happy camper.

Before or after his knee injury? Before his knee injury, Koivu was a bonafide #1. After he was a great #2.

 

[Simarino]

You underestimate what a healthy Saku Koivu was capable of. One of the most underrated Habs in history, really. Or your expectations of Kotkaniemi are way too high.
If he becomes a Saku Koivu, it'll have been an awesome pick.

So, in your mind Koivu was a real 1C or KK will be a 2C at best?

 

[MSLs absurd thighs]

So, in your mind Koivu was a real 1C or KK will be a 2C at best?

Do you consider David Krejci a real 1C on a contender? He certainly was Boston's top C in 2011 when they won the Cup. What about O'Reilly for St. Louis this season? What's a real 1C exactly? Where's the treshold?

In my mind, Saku Koivu was a C you could put out there against any line, and he would be able to win his matchups, do good in the faceoffs circle, up his play when the game was on the line, play PK, PP, create chemestry with any linemate, and perform in the playoffs. He could play with grit, win his board battles, do smart plays and be out there with 2 minutes left in the game with a one-goal lead. He ended his career with an average of points per 82 games of 61 points, playing for one of the worst offensive teams in the league in the dead puck era, after sustaining at least 3 career-altering injuries/diseases.

I'll go ahead and say I'll be PRETTY pleased if Kotkaniemi becomes a 6'2 version of all that.

I think people are getting caught up in a very abstract concept that is "hope", because they have had nothing to cheer for for a long time now. I genuinely don't know what people expect Kotkaniemi to be. It's genuinely concerning that the expectations are so high for pretty much all of our prospects. People are setting themselves up for disappointment. Big time. I prefer keeping my expectations in check and if I'm pleasantly surprised, so be it. I just don't think it's rational to say that him becoming a guy of Koivu's calibre would be a disappointment. I think people's memories are damn short and that they undervalue how much of a beast Koivu was. The guy beat cancer and came back in the playoffs to be our best player FFS.

I think people have irrealistic expectations for our youth, and the main guy responsible for all of this is Bergevin.

 

[SpeedyPotato]

He's going to be a good player. He had a good year for an 18 year old. The question is whether or not he's going to be a great player. People have varying opinions on what he can be. It seems that on here, any opinion other than him becoming a ppg+ elite 1C gets attacked or labeled as "hate". The thing is, I've been reading this board long enough to know that the people who are singing these young kid's praises and pumping their tires over every little thing are usually the ones who are bashing them the loudest and saying it was a terrible pick a few years later when they don't live up to the lofty expectations they had. It happens a lot becuase most prospects don't become elite, that is just plain facts. So please, excuse those of us who have rational, realistic expectations of these kids.

I'm not disagreeing with you, I agree that the average poster on here is pretty volatile, I'm actually just tired of seeing all the comparisons with every star player and what they did at 18 or 19. Everyone's different and that's what I mean, that's all, and it doesn't mean that if KK doesn't get 60 points this year, that he's a bust, or that he tops out as a 2C. If he gets 60 points though, it also doesn't mean he necessarily becomes an elite 1C, we just don't know.

 

[SpeedyPotato]

I would honestly be disapointed if he dosnt become more then Saku, i think Koivu was a 2C in a contending team, i hope KK will become a 1C in a contending team.

I think Saku is a borderline elite 1C if he doesn't get all these injuries and his cancer. We forget how dominant he was before blowing out his knee, never was quite the same after.

 

[Andrei79]

I think Saku is a borderline elite 1C if he doesn't get all these injuries and his cancer. We forget how dominant he was before blowing out his knee, never was quite the same after.

His knee, then cancer, then his eye. I saw a drop after all three. I would kill for another Koivu. Domi's as close as I've seen on this team.

 

[417]

I think Saku is a borderline elite 1C if he doesn't get all these injuries and his cancer. We forget how dominant he was before blowing out his knee, never was quite the same after.

Injuries slowed down what may have been a Hall of Fame career for Saku Koivu...I still remember the game where Jeff Shantz took out his knee, he was never the same after that and suffered through many more knee injuries and of course illness.

Still turned out a half decent career though!

 

[Simarino]

I think Saku is a borderline elite 1C if he doesn't get all these injuries and his cancer. We forget how dominant he was before blowing out his knee, never was quite the same after.

I remember it but it was in the 2nd year of his career in the NHL so it was a very small sample, after that he was a very good 2C imo

 

[Rapala]

Injuries slowed down what may have been a Hall of Fame career for Saku Koivu...I still remember the game where Jeff Shantz took out his knee, he was never the same after that and suffered through many more knee injuries and of course illness.

Still turned out a half decent career though!

He was only leading the league in scoring if I recall correctly.

 

[417]

He was only leading the league in scoring if I recall correctly.

Yes...just ahead of Mario Lemieux at the time.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Do you consider David Krejci a real 1C on a contender? He certainly was Boston's top C in 2011 when they won the Cup. What about O'Reilly for St. Louis this season? What's a real 1C exactly? Where's the treshold?

In my mind, Saku Koivu was a C you could put out there against any line, and he would be able to win his matchups, do good in the faceoffs circle, up his play when the game was on the line, play PK, PP, create chemestry with any linemate, and perform in the playoffs. He could play with grit, win his board battles, do smart plays and be out there with 2 minutes left in the game with a one-goal lead. He ended his career with an average of points per 82 games of 61 points, playing for one of the worst offensive teams in the league in the dead puck era, after sustaining at least 3 career-altering injuries/diseases.

I'll go ahead and say I'll be PRETTY pleased if Kotkaniemi becomes a 6'2 version of all that.

I think people are getting caught up in a very abstract concept that is "hope", because they have had nothing to cheer for for a long time now. I genuinely don't know what people expect Kotkaniemi to be. It's genuinely concerning that the expectations are so high for pretty much all of our prospects. People are setting themselves up for disappointment. Big time. I prefer keeping my expectations in check and if I'm pleasantly surprised, so be it. I just don't think it's rational to say that him becoming a guy of Koivu's calibre would be a disappointment. I think people's memories are damn short and that they undervalue how much of a beast Koivu was. The guy beat cancer and came back in the playoffs to be our best player FFS.

I think people have irrealistic expectations for our youth, and the main guy responsible for all of this is Bergevin.

I think you are not realizing that people are talking about ceiling level and understand it's not 100% for sure to turn out that way. It's like you want others to think they will be a superstar for sure and there is no other possible outcome. Weird.

It's ok for our fan base to be optimistic with our prospect pool and youth under 25. This hope and hype talk has no guarantees but trends are trends and we have several young guys trending very well.

 

[otto bond]

You definitely overrate what Saku was... which was a character driven, decent #2 Centerman and there's nothing wrong with that. I myself have higher expectations for young Kotkaniemi.

 

[MSLs absurd thighs]

I think you are not realizing that people are talking about ceiling level and understand it's not 100% for sure to turn out that way. It's like you want others to think they will be a superstar for sure and there is no other possible outcome. Weird.

It's ok for our fan base to be optimistic with our prospect pool and youth under 25. This hope and hype talk has no guarantees but trends are trends and we have several young guys trending very well.

It's ok to be optimistic. But this fanbase is not even optimistic anymore. They're fanatics. I've seen North Koreans show more objectivity towards their country than Habs fans do towards their team these days.

To consider Kotkaniemi becoming as good as the best C we've had in the past 25 years on this team a failure/disappointment is not optimism. It's disillusion.

 

[Habs Halifax]

It's ok to be optimistic. But this fanbase is not even optimistic anymore. They're fanatics. I've seen North Koreans show more objectivity towards their country than Habs fans do towards their team these days.

To consider Kotkaniemi becoming as good as the best C we've had in the past 25 years on this team a failure/disappointment is not optimism. It's disillusion.

I think it's possible Kotkaniemi becomes our best center in decades. But the word possible is key. Possible does not mean guaranteed. However, if people are saying guaranteed, it's a bit too much hope

 

[TopTenPlayz]

Injuries slowed down what may have been a Hall of Fame career for Saku Koivu...I still remember the game where Jeff Shantz took out his knee, he was never the same after that and suffered through many more knee injuries and of course illness.

Still turned out a half decent career though!

This clip is from 1999-2000 season, we can see his acceleration was still world class. It was 3 seasons after his infamous knee injury in december 1996 in which he came back in February 1997. As much as I like Saku Koivu, I don't think he has HOF talent. His league leading in points for a brief period of 3 months from October to December is overblown. He's a 2nd line center in my books.

 

[Kotkaniemi15]

Would u guys be happy if he becomes a Ryan Johansen?!

No

 

[417]

It's ok to be optimistic. But this fanbase is not even optimistic anymore. They're fanatics. I've seen North Koreans show more objectivity towards their country than Habs fans do towards their team these days.

To consider Kotkaniemi becoming as good as the best C we've had in the past 25 years on this team a failure/disappointment is not optimism. It's disillusion.

Upside down world...

this is so not reflective of Habs fans today.

 

[MSLs absurd thighs]

Upside down world...

this is so not reflective of Habs fans today.

Get on twitter and everywhere on social media, not just HF Boards.

 

[417]

Get on twitter and everywhere on social media, not just HF Boards.

I am on twitter...the overall sense I get from Habs fans is that they're down on the team.

I have no idea where you're getting this enthusiastic/optimistic vibe from.