Kotkaniemi finishes the season with 27 points in 79 games.

[Vukotal Recall]

He was healthy scratched in the playoffs.

Yes, by a moron coach who played lesser players, got eliminated, and got fired.

 

[Vukotal Recall]

Every single thing Bergevin did in his final offseason was disastrous

Every single thing Bergevin did in h̶i̶s̶ f̶i̶n̶a̶l̶ o̶f̶f̶season was disastrous

 

[Nogatco Rd]

A thread on how Kuznetsov sucks, a thread on how Kotkaniemi sucks. Meanwhile, Carolina is considered the betting favorite to win the Stanley Cup final. Strange times.

Where’s the Kuzy thread?

 

[Jukurit]

Crazy how much both he and Kakko have busted. Combined for 46 points in 140 games this season. I remember when they were so good together leading Finland to gold at U18s. Never thought they would suck this much in NHL.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Where’s the Kuzy thread?

Just scroll down and look for the thread title with “Kuznetsov” in it.

 

[viceroy]

Maybe the Canes are too staked upfront, who knows. But I refuse to think he's finished.

Would you be willing to take him back on the Habs?

Once again, don't let emotions dictate your decision making.

Like I learned in business school "Today's rival may be tomorrow's partner." So don't take things personally.

It's like how they proclaim every Habs goalie as the next Patrick Roy.

If you'd had Roy you wouldn't compare any goalie to him. That's despite us having had some pretty awesome Vezina winning goalies since.

Must have been a pretty shallow pool

Falling into a pool isn't meant to be fatal, just embarassing.

 

[tapi]

In additional to overpaying ~3 million a season, don't forget all the assets the initially gave to acquire him just to spite the Habs.

 

[KingJoffrey]

He is good fit for Canes. Big and good at own zone. Pretty young also and some offensive potential. Sure for 3rd ovr he's a bust, but he's fine young 3-4 line player with size.

 

[Junohockeyfan]

He is good fit for Canes. Big and good at own zone. Pretty young also and some offensive potential. Sure for 3rd ovr he's a bust, but he's fine young 3-4 line player with size.

He is a fine 4th line C but not at his caphit nor what it cost the Canes to get him.

The capspace is better used elsewhere.

 

[ijuka]

He is good fit for Canes. Big and good at own zone. Pretty young also and some offensive potential. Sure for 3rd ovr he's a bust, but he's fine young 3-4 line player with size.

Yeah, he'd be fine if he was making 3mil less money.

 

[Mackiaveli]

Remember when Habs fans loved the pick over Brady Tkachuk. Good times

pls point me to those fans.

 

[Tuggy]

A thread on how Kuznetsov sucks, a thread on how Kotkaniemi sucks. Meanwhile, Carolina is considered the betting favorite to win the Stanley Cup final. Strange times.

If Kuznetsov and Kotkaniemi spontaneously disappeared would that change?

 

[IronCladCane]

If Kuznetsov and Kotkaniemi spontaneously disappeared would that change?

Probably not lmfao but we would probably Turbo to C

 

[Perfect_Drug]

pls point me to those fans.

I mean I remember the camera cutting to THIS lady. She embodied what the entire city of Montreal was thinking when Kotkaniemi was drafted over Brady Tkachuk

Passing over the big strong power-forward with family pedigree for an off the board gamble going 15 spots above his projected position with the 3rd overall pick.


There was not a single happy Habs fan back then, and there sure as shit aren't any now that Brady hits fights and scores 35 goals+ for their rival.

 

[mattihp]

Crazy how much both he and Kakko have busted. Combined for 46 points in 140 games this season. I remember when they were so good together leading Finland to gold at U18s. Never thought they would suck this much in NHL.

Kakko is gonna start scoring next season!

 

[Howboutthempanthers]

A lot like Anton Lundell.

 

[Frank Drebin]

I mean I remember the camera cutting to THIS lady. She embodied what the entire city of Montreal was thinking when Kotkaniemi was drafted over Brady Tkachuk

Passing over the big strong power-forward with family pedigree for an off the board gamble going 15 spots above his projected position with the 3rd overall pick.


There was not a single happy Habs fan back then, and there sure as shit aren't any now that Brady hits fights and scores 35 goals+ for their rival.

View attachment 854410

View attachment 854412

No habs fans wanted Brady Tkachuk. EVERYONE wanted Zadina. Red wings fans were clowning on us, "thanks for zadina". He was as close to a #3 overall consensus pick as I've seen as Dahlin and Svech were 1 and 2

 

[Goalie_Bob]

He can be bought in the 2026 offseason and still have a small cap hit, like 835k or below, He would probably be by far the youngest player ever to be bought out.

Have to wonder if a team may take him at 3.9mil for the next two seasons and see how it goes and then if necessary, they would buy him out. He is still young, in two years a player making 3.9mil will probably be a good 3rd line player.

I guess I have to understand more about him. Could he be a good 3rd line center for a good team?

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

Your management thought they were using him to get back at Montreal for offer sheeting Aho, but really he was using your team to get revenge on the Habs for scratching him and get a nice fat pay cheque despite not knowing how to skate.

Canes fans trying to convince everyone this wasn't just some failed attempt at petty revenge and they actually did want the player

It's amazing how the narrative of Tom Dundon's ownership has shifted from his first 12 months- "Dundon is cheap" to "Dundon will spend 6 million dollars just to spite a team that offersheeted the Canes best player."

"And then in further spite will sign that player to an 8 year, ~40 million dollar deal 6 months later. "

 

[StreetHawk]

Don't see teams rolling the dice on that. $7.8 mill cash plus the chance to pay almost another $7 mill in a buyout? $14.5-$15 mill for potentially 2 years for someone who has only shown 30 something point ability so far?

 

[Bond]

Is he good defensively? I wonder if there is a Kadri and KK swap that makes sense.

 

[Colezuki]

Is he good defensively? I wonder if there is a Kadri and KK swap that makes sense.

when he was with us he did show up as a defensively strong center

this above thread is too reactionary, he's probably a 2/3 center, had a bad season but if he rebounds the Canes are fine. Saying that my logic since the beginning has been the canes overpaid for him when they could've gotten a more proven asset for the same value which they should've during a time when they should be pushing.

How good would a JT Compher look on the Canes right now slotting in as the 2/3 Center vs. KK

 

[tarheelhockey]

He is a fine 4th line C but not at his caphit nor what it cost the Canes to get him.

The capspace is better used elsewhere.

He’s not a 4C on the majority of teams.

A couple of nights ago the Hurricanes rested a bunch of guys and moved Kotkaniemi up to the top 6. Now to be clear, I’m not making more of this than what it was, a throwaway game between two weak rosters. But this is what happened:

View attachment 853786

Put him on a team that routinely ices that sort of roster, and you’ll get a very different stat line out of him. He had 1g 1a in that game, similar to his hot start at 2C this season.

A big “problem” at present is that he’s on a team that’s making its big push for a Cup, so they’re not interested in giving him development time at the moment. He’s really not going to step into a prime checking role until Staal retires or becomes totally broken-down, so his role in the short term will be either 2C or 4C, with little chance of receiving the mid-level responsibility that he would be getting on a lot of teams.

 

[Frank Drebin]

It's amazing how the narrative of Tom Dundon's ownership has shifted from his first 12 months- "Dundon is cheap" to "Dundon will spend 6 million dollars just to spite a team that offersheeted the Canes best player."

"And then in further spite will sign that player to an 8 year, ~40 million dollar deal 6 months later. "

Billionaire ego is a hell of a drug

 

[Tabarouette]

I'm not sure whats funnier, Habs fans for years trying to convince everyone he doesn't suck, or Canes fans trying to convince everyone this wasn't just some failed attempt at petty revenge and they actually did want the player

We're at a point where Canes fans are using the "lol but we're making the playoffs and u suck" and "lool we're living rent free in your head!" arguments so, it's hard not to think the second one is increasingly funnier