Montreal Canadiens: Jesperi Kotkaniemi gets a rating increase

The NHL has quickly recognized what Jesperi Kotkaniemi has brought to the Montreal Canadiens and apparently so has EA Sports.

Do you play NHL 19? The game has grown over the years, and it constantly pulls from the developments occurring in the actual league. A fun exercise is to predict what rating the players from your favourite team will be for each rendition of the game. Then compare it to the actual results upon the release which can sometimes create some heated debates, especially for a team like the Montreal Canadiens who have their skilled players with high ratings and roles players with average ones.

But it’s not as if EA makes the ratings in August and leaves them. The game is continuously updated based on the performance of players throughout the season and not too long ago they came out with a few alterations. One of which included Jesperi Kotkaniemi who saw his rating rise from an 80 to an 81.

Not a bad accomplishment considering Kotkaniemi wasn’t even in EA’s Top 10 Rookie Ratings ahead of the season (fun fact: Filip Zadina was).

The 18-year-old does everything right and has answered most challenges so far this year. Both Kotkaniemi’s offensive and defensive play is strengthened by his vision and awareness of what is going on. The passing plays he made at the beginning of the season have only become more crisp and precise with increased familiarity among his linemates.

Additionally, he’s getting more shots on net and making the most of the strength he’s put added to his frame in the last four months.

What could be holding back the hype of Kotkaniemi is the play of the other rookies in the NHL. Elias Pettersson has put the Vancouver Canucks on his back leading the team in goals (23) and overall points (45). There’s also Rasmus Dahlin who started the season on the second pairing but is now playing against the league’s best every night.

Kotkaniemi is building up to that point though. He’s received massive praise from hockey minds including the great Scotty Bowman who said:

I saw Jean Béliveau with Victoriaville juniors at age 16. No one compares to Jean but Kotkaniemi, at 18, has a lot of Jean’s characteristics in his game. When he’s about 22, he’ll be a No. 1 centre for Montreal.

Perhaps it doesn’t take that long, and even if it does, there’s no telling the Montreal Canadiens have found a gem. So we’ll take the +1 increase for now as it’s just the beginning for a mint player like Kotkaniemi.