Injury Report: Jesperi Kotkaniemi (Part IX)

[Estimated_Prophet]

So you guys are worried about him after one year?

Not at all, he desperately needs to get stronger and faster but he is still an infant relative to his competition. He will be a very good player when he sheds his adolescent form.

 

[Archijerej]

Seeing people bicker about Danault and Kotkaniemi on the wing is laughable.

Why the **** are you slotting Poehling as a center in the NHL anyway?

Jesus Christ, if the kid can't crack top 9 send him to AHL. What's the big ****ing deal.

Roll Domi, Kotkaniemi and Danault and let Poehling force your hand.

Will it really be THAT bad to have Poehling, Suzuki and Brook in AHL at same time, even for half a season?

We took it slow with Subban.
We only let Price play 2 years after he was drafted and he killed every level, even won AHL cup and AHL MVP. There was nothing left. He won WJC gold, mvp. CHL goalie of the year. Nothing and we still let him play that AHL stint anyway.

Keep the top 3 as is, let Poehling push one out or get big minutes in AHL. Problem solved.​

I agree. Except that I see Poehling as a viable option for the fourth line. We are deep on wings, so he'll be able to play with relatively skilled linemates and he's the kind of player who can climb himself up from the #4 center spot, as Danault did.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

The obsession around Danault needs to stop. He's a good player, but not that good. He should be candidate number 1 by a mile as far as who should play on the wing.

Don't agree at all. i don't think he's a number 1, but do think he can slot in as a number 2 proving you have a reasonably strong 3, but realistically he's at worst our 3rd best center for the next few seasons at least.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

Seeing people bicker about Danault and Kotkaniemi on the wing is laughable.

Why the **** are you slotting Poehling as a center in the NHL anyway?

Jesus Christ, if the kid can't crack top 9 send him to AHL. What's the big ****ing deal.

Roll Domi, Kotkaniemi and Danault and let Poehling force your hand.

Will it really be THAT bad to have Poehling, Suzuki and Brook in AHL at same time, even for half a season?

We took it slow with Subban.
We only let Price play 2 years after he was drafted and he killed every level, even won AHL cup and AHL MVP. There was nothing left. He won WJC gold, mvp. CHL goalie of the year. Nothing and we still let him play that AHL stint anyway.

Keep the top 3 as is, let Poehling push one out or get big minutes in AHL. Problem solved.​

This, i think, would make too much sense, but complaining is more fun. I don't see any reason anyone needs to switch to wing ATM.

 

[ahmedou]

Actually at Cancun. Take a long rest. Dont abuse with it. Right. Stalkers gonna stalk.

Been playing a huge numbers of game on his D and D+1 year. Whether with Assat. His Finland NT. The Draft June 2018 period (exercises,etc). The rookies development camp. The official camp. And officially with the Habs into the NHL. Been busely busy. I don't even need to calculate the total. We already know it approximately how much it was.

 

[WickedPegJets]

Why were Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Ryan Poehling tried at left wing at season end when they were drafted as centermen?

 

[lou4gehrig]

Why were Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Ryan Poehling tried at left wing at season end when they were drafted as centermen?

How does a player get drafted into a specific position?

 

[admiralcadillac]

The obsession around Danault needs to stop. He's a good player, but not that good. He should be candidate number 1 by a mile as far as who should play on the wing.

What? Literally no one here is obsessed with Danault in a positive way. All I've seen are people attacking him.

He was by far the most important centerman on the team this year, however, just from a defensive standpoint. I would eventually like to see him in a 3c role.

 

[Scriptor]

I agree. Except that I see Poehling as a viable option for the fourth line. We are deep on wings, so he'll be able to play with relatively skilled linemates and he's the kind of player who can climb himself up from the #4 center spot, as Danault did.

If Domi stays at C, Montreal isn't all that deep on the wing, actually. Not deep enough to supply quality wingers for Poehling, not if suzuki plays in the AHL, as he perhaps should.

LW is much deeper than RW, but it is not that deep. IMO, Armia is a 4th line RW, not a 3rd line RW. Beyond Gallagher, there is no real quality top-6 right winger; not Shaw, not Byron, not Armia, not Weal.

Montreal needs at least two more scoring wingers to have a strong top-9 and have a solid 4th line because other players like Byron and Shaw have been bumped down as a result.

IMO, here's the short term depth chart for the Habs with players needed to fill the holes identified by Xs:

Drouin - Domi - XXX
Tatar - Danault - Gallagher
Lehkonen - Kotkaniemi - XXX (eventually, Suzuki, IMO)
Byron - Poehling - Shaw (eventually, Ylonen will replace Byron)
Weal, Armia

Even then, IMO, we need a better 3rd line LW to have real depth in two or three years:

Drouin - Domi - Sizeable, scoring RW?
Anders Lee (Sizeable scoring LW) - Kotkaniemi - Suzuki
Tatar - Danault - Gallagher
Lehkonen - Poehling - Ylonen
Weal, Armia

Ideally, management manages to land a scoring winger like Anders Lee this offseason for zero assets lost and adds a LHD via the trade route, on top of drafting more of those. Who is traceable for a LHD? Byron, Shaw,Lehkonen, plus Ikonen and one of our 2nd round picks and 5th round picks.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

lmao

 

[Mrb1p]

Why were Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Ryan Poehling tried at left wing at season end when they were drafted as centermen?

Because Claude Julien likes "safe" players like Weal, Thompson and Danault more than mere rookies. (Do not mind the fact that Jesperi had the best defensive numbers on the team, as a C.)

 

[BeastMode420]

lmao

Lol thats why he was losing endurance the end of the year eating all that vegans stuff

 

[BaseballCoach]

Beyond Gallagher, there is no real quality top-6 right winger; not Shaw, not Byron, not Armia, not Weal.

Why do people on this board always undervalue their own players???

Andrew Shaw had the 32nd most points for a right winger this season. That would put him at almost first liner status.

However, he did this in 63 games!! In points per game, he was 19th among RW.

And you think he is not a top 6?

Jeezus Price.

 

[Guns n Roses]

Seeing people bicker about Danault and Kotkaniemi on the wing is laughable.

Why the **** are you slotting Poehling as a center in the NHL anyway?

Jesus Christ, if the kid can't crack top 9 send him to AHL. What's the big ****ing deal.

Roll Domi, Kotkaniemi and Danault and let Poehling force your hand.

Will it really be THAT bad to have Poehling, Suzuki and Brook in AHL at same time, even for half a season?

We took it slow with Subban.
We only let Price play 2 years after he was drafted and he killed every level, even won AHL cup and AHL MVP. There was nothing left. He won WJC gold, mvp. CHL goalie of the year. Nothing and we still let him play that AHL stint anyway.

Keep the top 3 as is, let Poehling push one out or get big minutes in AHL. Problem solved.​

Poehling is the prototypical center.. he has everything. He’s twice as NHL ready as Kotkaniemi. He’s way better than Danault. Poehling won’t be running out of steam a la Kotkaniemi. Poehling would destroy Kotka in 2.2 seconds if they fought to put it all in perspective. Poehling #1 and Kotka #2 will be dynamite in the future. We have two real #1 centerman on our hands. Pittsburgh “lite” problems. I never thought I would live to witness this in the makings.

 

[SOLR]

What? Literally no one here is obsessed with Danault in a positive way. All I've seen are people attacking him.

He was by far the most important centerman on the team this year however, just from ad efensive standpoint. I would eventually like to see him in a 3c role.

Danault can be Carbo (20g-50p at 3c). We just need to upgrade the top 6 centers so they are bigger offensive threats than Danault.

 

[SOLR]

Not sure I understand the Poehling vs. Danault discussions, these 2 are meant to play together for a few years to form one of the best 3rd line in the league. But for that to happen, KK needs to be more of a constant threat upfront or we need Danault on the top lines. In others words, KK is after Danault offensively and Poehling is after Danault head-on for the whole role occupied by Danault (that will take a while). And then potentially if KK is so good, maybe he'll go after Domi offensively and we can gain Domi at LW. If that happens at the same time as Poehling surpasses Danault, we'll have KK - Poehling - Danault in the middle and this while not the most talented group will be annoying as hell for others teams (and very much like that 1993 team...)

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Poehling is the prototypical center.. he has everything. He’s twice as NHL ready as Kotkaniemi. He’s way better than Danault. Poehling won’t be running out of steam a la Kotkaniemi. Poehling would destroy Kotka in 2.2 seconds if they fought to put it all in perspective. Poehling #1 and Kotka #2 will be dynamite in the future. We have two real #1 centerman on our hands. Pittsburgh “lite” problems. I never thought I would live to witness this in the makings.

Go top 3 centers then. That simple. Whoever wins gets it.

 

[tazsub3]

Because Claude Julien likes "safe" players like Weal, Thompson and Danault more than mere rookies. (Do not mind the fact that Jesperi had the best defensive numbers on the team, as a C.)

Though from what we saw from weal is a lot of offensive flair, not a defensive player. he created more offense then many since the trade.

 

[ECWHSWI]

Why do people on this board always undervalue their own players???

Andrew Shaw had the 32nd most points for a right winger this season. That would put him at almost first liner status.

However, he did this in 63 games!! In points per game, he was 19th among RW.

And you think he is not a top 6?

Jeezus Price.

Andrew Shaw is a 1st liner then.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Andrew Shaw is a 1st liner then.

The way he played this year, and even with slight regression, I am comfortable with him as a 2nd line RW behind Gallagher.

Of course, there were people here just last year telling us Gallagher is a third line forward.

 

[ECWHSWI]

The way he played this year, and even with slight regression, I am comfortable with him as a 2nd line RW behind Gallagher.

Of course, there were people here just last year telling us Gallagher is a third line forward.

2nd line... yet you posted numbers showing he's a first liner.

so 1st line it is.

 

[BaseballCoach]

2nd line... yet you posted numbers showing he's a first liner.

so 1st line it is.

Gallagher gets the nod over him. But the numbers I quoted were real. If he were to repeat his ppg from this year for another year or two over 82 games, getting 60 points each year, he would likely be considered a first liner (lower half).

I was merely taking issue with a poster who said that no one other than Gallagher was even a possible top 6 RW. Clearly Shaw is possible.

 

[ECWHSWI]

Gallagher gets the nod over him. But the numbers I quoted were real. If he were to repeat his ppg from this year for another year or two over 82 games, getting 60 points each year, he would likely be considered a first liner (lower half).

I was merely taking issue with a poster who said that no one other than Gallagher was even a possible top 6 RW. Clearly Shaw is possible.

of course he is, you showed it, he's a 1st liner.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Not sure I understand the Poehling vs. Danault discussions, these 2 are meant to play together for a few years to form one of the best 3rd line in the league. But for that to happen, KK needs to be more of a constant threat upfront or we need Danault on the top lines. In others words, KK is after Danault offensively and Poehling is after Danault head-on for the whole role occupied by Danault (that will take a while). And then potentially if KK is so good, maybe he'll go after Domi offensively and we can gain Domi at LW. If that happens at the same time as Poehling surpasses Danault, we'll have KK - Poehling - Danault in the middle and this while not the most talented group will be annoying as hell for others teams (and very much like that 1993 team...)

If we have enough good centers to make Domi expendable, we will get more for him by trading a 72 point center than by moving him internally to LW.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Why were Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Ryan Poehling tried at left wing at season end when they were drafted as centermen?

Kotkaniemi is one of the youngest players ever to play in the NHL and it was Poehling's 1st NHL game. Combine this with the fact that center is the most demanding position and the answer should be crystal clear to anyone with half a clue.