Montreal Canadiens: NHL debut looks more likely for Jesperi Kotkaniemi
By Omar L
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.