Montreal Canadiens: Ideal linemates for Jesperi Kotkaniemi

There’s no doubt the Montreal Canadiens are going to keep an eye on Jesperi Kotkaniemi at training camp and who he plays with will be equally as important.

Besides the status of Max Pacioretty, the biggest storyline heading into training camp for the Montreal Canadiens will be revolved around 2018 first-round pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi. It boils down to a simple question, and the headlines write themselves. Will the 18-year-old make the team out of camp?

There are clear pros and cons to the popular debate. Kotkaniemi has put a foot in the door already by standing out at development camp. When talking about Victor Mete and his elevation into a possible roster spot to start the 2016-17 season, Claude Julien brought up that team event as a moment when the young defenceman caught his eye. Additionally, he’s had good performances playing for Finland at the U20s and will most likely have Habs representatives watching him in his preseason games for Assat.

(Notes from Game 1 and Game 2 at the U20s).

The next step will be how he fairs at the Rookie Tournament. Going back to Mete, the tournament at Ricoh Coliseum was another place that saw him standout. If Kotkaniemi can have a similar if not better impact, then there’s no reason why he shouldn’t remain in the conversation.

However, and this is no shock at all, he must earn it and prove that he belongs without a shadow of a doubt. Marc Bergevin has made it clear that the Montreal Canadiens will not force him into a spot on the team. It would significantly damage his development to have him play while leaving him exposed to the increased difficulty of the NHL.

An appropriate fit within the roster can supersede those cons though. And one of the ways to have that go Kotkaniemi’s way is to play him with the right people.

Left Wing

I think it’s safe to say right off the bat that Kotkaniemi shouldn’t be in the top six. Things can change as the season progresses, and if the coaching staff feels he can handle more minutes, then they should see what he can do with them instead of holding him back. For now, there wouldn’t be a problem with Kotkaniemi being the third-line centre on the Montreal Canadiens.

Playing in the third hole while controlling some of the zone starts would be a good way for Julien to manage him and place him in positions to succeed. As far his linemates, an all Finnish line with Kotkaniemi in between Artturi Lehkonen and Joel Armia could be a very effective unit.

It goes beyond the fact that they all hail from Finland. Each player’s style and skills complement one another.

Kotkaniemi sees the ice so well and has the hockey IQ to continuously make plays in the offensive zone by continuously being aware of where players are relative to himself. At the same time, he can predict moves occurring and be in the right position to act on or disrupt them. Now think of a player like Lehkonen who is a warehouse for shots and high-danger scoring chances.

Last season may have been a year-long valley of bad luck in terms of goals evident by the 23-year-old’s 4.1% drop in shooting percentage despite finishing with more shots and total shot attempts than in his rookie season. Lehkonen can get hard on the forecheck and work the boards to get the puck to his linemates, in this example Kotkaniemi, who can then make further moves to generate chances.

Right Wing

The same thing goes for Armia. The former Winnipeg Jet has a knack of effectively using his size to force opponents off the puck. He’s also made the slot his domain and gets a lot of wrist shots off from that area. He wouldn’t be an anchor on the line either. Armia can skate and has used that speed to spring himself and others on odd-man rushes.

Then there’s the heartwarming element to it all in that Kotkaniemi was a fan of Armia back when he played for Assat.

The 25-year-old spent many years playing within the Assat system and saw three years with the main club between 2010 and 2012.

Armia would bring not only the physical presence but the offensive pressure, Lehkonen adds the high magnitude of shots and high-danger chances, and finally, Kotkaniemi is the string that keeps things going on in the zone by making the plays and continuously directing the puck to the other members of the ice.

Having him with a mobile defenceman along the blueline who can move the puck would be a benefit as well. Mike Rielly, for example, is known to get a lot of shots on net. He and Kotkaniemi can play off of each other, especially in those moments where he wants to activate from the point to get something going himself.

More to Choose From

There are going to be a lot of debuts in the AHL for the Montreal Canadiens this upcoming season. Similar to making the main club, there are some positives of Kotkaniemi playing with the Laval Rocket. Not only will he be gaining experience on North American ice, but it’s very close to the Habs so management can keep tabs on him frequently.

But it’s a rare occurrence to see an 18-year-old play in the AHL. The league is for all intents and purposes meant for development so, in that regard, it would make sense to have Kotkaniemi there. However, the clear fork in the road looks to be the Montreal Canadiens or Assat for the 2018-19 campaign.

If Kotkaniemi did end up in Laval, Kenny Agostino would be a good candidate for him to line up with. The 26-year-old has aspirations of making the NHL club after spending many seasons in the minors, but his ability to drive offence and possession through his shot totals and playmaking are incredible. Agostino has been a top point-getter on the majority of the teams he’s played for, and his pro-experience could help Kotkaniemi adjust.

On his right could be another skilled rookie in Alexandre Alain, but a player such as Hayden Verbeek would be an interesting candidate. The Montreal Canadiens signed him out of the OHL and plays a game similar to that of Brendan Gallagher using his speed to be relentless on the puck. Characteristics like those could be a good complementary piece to the way both Kotkaniemi and Agostino play.