Montreal Canadiens: NHL debut looks more likely for Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Jesperi Kotkaniemi was the player to watch for the Montreal Canadiens at training camp and he’s surely earned a look in the regular season.
When the Montreal Canadiens went on stage in Dallas and selected Jesperi Kotkaniemi third-overall, the first question asked was, is he ready? The 18-year-old was one of the better players at development camp and played very well over the summer for Finland (U20s) and Ässät (Liiga), and we asked the same question. Now with two preseason games left against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, we may be getting closer to that answer.
Kotkaniemi has made it to the final waves of training camp. And although it may appear at first that his draft position has a lot to do with it, he’s earned the right to remain. It’s just as Marc Bergevin said over the summer. The Habs are going to take to the time to watch and evaluate Kotkaniemi and determine whether he can handle the mental and physical load of playing in the NHL.
The Rookie Tournament was a rollercoaster. It didn’t start off too well as Kotkaniemi was seeing games on the smaller ice surface for the first time. One of his top skills is his vision and awareness, and those neede to be improved for him to keep that up in North America.
That came about in the second game against the Toronto Maple Leafs where Kotkaniemi made a handful of dangerous (but in a good way) plays on the man advantage.
Then the preseason started, and the Finland native showed Montreal Canadiens fans and coaching staff what he excels at.
D and a Picket Fence
Kotkaniemi has seen four preseason games so far and has looked better in each one successively. He’s been a positive possession player in each at 5v5, including a 72.22 CF% against the New Jersey Devils, and has a goal and an assist. However, what’s standing out for Kotkaniemi are things he’s doing that doesn’t appear on the score sheet. A lot of it is incredible to take note of given his age.
To be given the opportunity to play for Claude Julien at centre, your defensive game has to be up there. There are moments throughout games in which Kotkaniemi is involved in where he is constantly covering for the point or the front of the net for his d-men. This is important given the blueline we could see the Montreal Canadiens running this season.
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Not to say that’s a bad thing at all. Having an extra man in can convert a scoring change into an actual goal if things play out. However, you need your centre there to act as the third defender on the ice, and over you, in case the puck turns the other way.
That’s something Kotkaniemi has made an effort to do throughout the preseason. You rarely catch him out of position as far as coverage goes and he always looks for ways to transition the puck forward with short passes to the player on the wall to enter the zone with speed (another thing Julien seems to want to implement in the Habs layout).
His awareness comes to play in the defensive zone as well which helps him read the play and react. There are a few moments where Kotkaniemi would know where the pass is going and either try to disrupt it or get to the player first before they have time to do anything with the puck.
Danger in the O-Zone
The bulk of Kotkaniemi’s skill comes in the offensive zone and the kinds of passes he makes. But it’s not only the passes he makes, but when, where, and why he makes them.
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There’s a good deal of patience that comes with his playmaking ability. Kotkaniemi will wait if he can’t find anything thing he likes before dishing it out. Another thing is his recognition of the other team’s recognition. What I mean by that is Kotkaniemi knows he’s being watched constantly and will use that to his advantage pulling players closer to him and sending the puck to a teammate who may have time with the extra space.
His other talent is the use of his head. Kotkaniemi will look one way and act the other which is confusing for opposing players but effective for the Habs. His teammates need to be aware they can get the puck at any time and line up with finishers will be a good way to generate.
Then there’s the Julien bonus. Kotkaniemi knowingly takes hits to keep the puck moving or enter the zone. That was a big part of his goal against the New Jersey Devils as he took the hit from Pavel Zacha long the right wall to get the puck up to Simon Despres on the point and eventually got it back via Rinat Valiev for the one-timer.
Now we get to the task at hand.
Is Kotkaniemi ready? The jury is still out on that.
Closer to the Show
Kotkaniemi has done enough to get a nine-game audition and has caught the attention of the coaching staff early on.
“Things happen when he’s on the ice” - Claude Julien, just the other day, on Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) September 25, 2018
It’s really that simple.
That’s a big compliment from Julien here. He’s acknowledging that not only is Kotkaniemi good for the team when he’s on the ice, but he makes his teammates better as well. A quality all teams look for in a player, but especially in a centre, and one who you hope to be one in your top six one day.
Wednesday’s game against the Leafs is going to be a test. However, not as many are making it out to be. It is going to be difficult to take on the centre depth they have in Auston Matthews, John Tavares, and Nazem Kadri. That said, how he plays in this one game isn’t going to take away from the positive things he’s showed the Montreal Canadiens so far.
Playing with Paul Byron and Artturi Lehkonen was a good idea from Julien. Kotkaniemi already has experience playing with Lehkonen, and his shot generation is the perfect combination for a player who is always looking for the opportunity to create a scoring chance. Byron is another element of speed, and defensive responsibility and his tenacity could lead to some ongoing cycles with quick puck movement. However, it’s possible Kotkaniemi returns to the top line between Jonathan Drouin and Joel Armia.
Kotkaniemi is doing all the right things to remain in the good books of the Habs coaching staff. He’s gotten an opportunity to stand out because of the Max Domi suspension, and he has two more cracks at continuing the impression he’s leaving.
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Going back to Finland may be the better choice for Kotkaniemi at this point of his development, even if he does make the team out of camp. But he’s making the decision a tough one for the Montreal Canadiens, and that’s all you could ask of a top-five pick.
Acknowledgements: Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick.