by Blain Potvin, Staff Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine
Many expected the Canadiens to select Filip Zadina with the third overall pick at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft in Dallas. Instead, Shane Churla called the name of rising star Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
Kotkaniemi had not impressed at the Ivan Hlinka under-18 tournament in August 2017. Many scouts thought that he was lazy and delivered a lackadaisical performance. But a different picture started to emerge as Kotkaniemi played in the Five Nations Tournament and the U-18 World Championships.
Once selected, there was discussion about whether the Canadiens first-rounder would be returned to Finland. In his draft year, Kotkaniemi had played left-wing in the Finnish Elite League. Did he need more time with Assat to learn the centre position with his father as head coach?
It was a reasonable assumption. At the Draft, TSN’s Pierre McGuire and Craig Button concluded that Kotkaniemi was not NHL-ready.
Since then, the Canadiens rookie has passed every test including training camp and the nine and 39-game thresholds as he exceeded expectations.
It is no longer a surprise that Kotkaniemi is still with the Canadiens. His skating is still a work in progress as his first step speed hasn’t peaked, and neither has his strength. He still loses puck battles as he has yet to mature.
What keeps him on the roster alongside his slick skills and offensive vision is his hockey IQ. He has a mind that thinks and anticipates the game well enough to play defensively sound hockey, an aspect of the game that endears him to Claude Julien. The Habs head coach has been slowly providing assignments of incremental importance as the year wears on.
At five-on-five, Kotkaniemi’s advanced stats point to a player that controls the game. His Corsi For is at 57 per cent after 51 games, meaning his team controls the puck more with him on the ice. His Corsi For per 60 mins played of 68.1 per cent is more impressive.
That level of possession rivals that of former Julien protégé Patrice Bergeron, who is one of the top possession centers in the NHL. Bergeron boasts a 66.6 per cent in that metric . It’s important to consider that Bergeron averages four more minutes per game than Kotkaniemi, and unlike the Canadiens rookie, faces opposing team’s best players.
Despite his shortcomings, Kotkaniemi is becoming more comfortable in his role in the NHL. He has been learning to use his hockey sense to position himself to win more battles than he loses. That strategy will undoubtedly help him become more dangerous along the boards as he grows into his six-foot-two-inch frame.
His faceoff skills were poor at the beginning of the season, but he has worked diligently and now sits at a win rate of 46.9 per cent and improving.
Kotkaniemi has an excellent shot, yet doesn’t use it often enough. He still defers to the veterans on his line as he prefers to be a pass-first player. This is an aspect of his game that is slow to improve. Increased use of his excellent shot would keep defenders honest and prevent them cheating to cover the pass, making him an even more effective offensive player.
That being said, Julien’s mentorship seems to be paying early dividends. It looks as though Kotkaniemi is the ideal player at this time for an organization that has been searching for a top line center for many years.
As exciting as it has been to see Max Domi come into Montreal and fill in as a top line center and produce points, it isn’t a long term solution. Domi would fit much better in a second line center role. In the meantime, he has been able to provide a level of play that helps insulate the young Kotkaniemi as he grows as an NHL center.
One aspect that can’t be ignored is Kotkaniemi’s character and attitude. He seems to have a smile permanently etched onto his face. His youthful exuberance and work ethic has been infectious for his team and in line with a culture change proclaimed by management. It is clear that he has a personality suited to handle playing as an 18-year-old in the demanding Montreal market.
At the Draft, Kotkaniemi was projected as a second line centre in the future. That may need to be adjusted upward. With improvements to his skating and strength, it’s possible that he could reach the level of a top-line center in the NHL.
And that would be pretty mint.
Edited by Cate Racher, All Habs Hockey Magazine