Montreal Canadiens

[Axeman33]

Stastny is the best center option this off-season for teams to go after. That means someone is going to overpay for him, again. It wont surprise me if Montreal backs the truck up for him. They have the cap space to do it.

[ericdaoust]

Not sure how we get there but I keep seeing Jesperi Kotkaniemi linked to the Habs. That's obviously based on team needs.

[Zorro]

Pacioretty rumored to be signed and traded around the draft.. Anybody else hearing this??

[ericdaoust]

Pacioretty rumored to be signed and traded around the draft.. Anybody else hearing this??

I believe he can only be signed after July 1st so....

[Jouko-Pouko]

Not sure how we get there but I keep seeing Jesperi Kotkaniemi linked to the Habs. That's obviously based on team needs.

I believe Kotkaniemi had dinner with three teams, and the only team I've heard so far was Detroit. Would be interesting to know if Montreal was one of the teams. It's actually not outrageous because the difference between Zadina and Kotkaniemi isn't huge.

I believe he can only be signed after July 1st so....

This is true.

[rufio.85]

I believe Kotkaniemi had dinner with three teams, and the only team I've heard so far was Detroit. Would be interesting to know if Montreal was one of the teams. It's actually not outrageous because the difference between Zadina and Kotkaniemi isn't huge.

Jouko: I presume you've watched Kotkaniemi play a few times back in Finland.
What type of player is he, what would be a relevant comparable for him?

[Jouko-Pouko]

Jouko: I presume you've watched Kotkaniemi play a few times back in Finland.
What type of player is he, what would be a relevant comparable for him?

Two-way center with good size. Not afraid to get involved physically. Skating has been a concern in the past but he took big steps this year to improve it. He's never going to be a great skater but it's good enough now.

[Axeman33]

I believe Kotkaniemi had dinner with three teams, and the only team I've heard so far was Detroit. Would be interesting to know if Montreal was one of the teams. It's actually not outrageous because the difference between Zadina and Kotkaniemi isn't huge.

I have a feeling if Montreal takes Kotkaniemi 3rd overall Habs fans will lost their shit. If he's the guy they truly want, they should be trading down a few spots and picking up extra assets. That's the smart play but smart doesn't always seem to be the norm.

[Jouko-Pouko]

I have a feeling if Montreal takes Kotkaniemi 3rd overall Habs fans will lost their shit. If he's the guy they truly want, they should be trading down a few spots and picking up extra assets. That's the smart play but smart doesn't always seem to be the norm.

That's the smart play in theory but how far can they realistically go without risk losing the guy they want? If they try trading down one spot, the team drafting 4th knows they're not taking Zadina and has no need to trade up. That's what happened to Columbus when they wanted Dubois and tried to trade down but eventually just decided to draft him 3rd overall.

[Jouko-Pouko]

I've seen the Kotkaniemi/Zadina situation being compared to the Dubois/Puljuarvi situation, and there are some similarities there. Both Kotkaniemi and Dubois were big centers who had also played wing, so there were questions if they can actually play center in the NHL. Both Zadina and Puljujarvi had great junior careers and a great WJC tournament. Puljujarvi was actually much better than Zadina during his WJC (Best Forward & MVP), and he was about 6 months younger than Zadina as well.

The Dubois selection has obviously worked out great for the Blue Jackets, so it's not unrealistic to think the same couldn't happen with Kotkaniemi. It's not the choice I'd make but at the same time, I never would have drafted Dubois ahead of Puljujarvi, so what do I know.

It's a very simplistic comparison but I know some Habs fans are getting very excited about it.

[Axeman33]

I am not sure that Kotkaniemi/Zadina to Dubois/Puljujarvi is quite the same.

We all know that heading into the 2016 draft, everyone was talking about "the big three" (Matthews, Laine and Puljujarvi). No one was talking about Dubois but he was in the top 5 consensus discussion. Taking him at three wasn't a big reach. Most had Dubois and Matt Tkachuk at 4/5 depending on who you are reading/following.

Fast forward to this year, and we have another "big three". The difference here though is I am not so sure that Kotkaniemi is in that 4-5 discussion either. If he wasn't a center, he might not be in the discussion in the top 10 (of course that's just my opinion, not fact). Kotkaniemi going 3rd overall would be a pretty big reach IMO, and certainly a much bigger one then Dubois going 3rd to CBJ in 2016.

[Jouko-Pouko]

I am not sure that Kotkaniemi/Zadina to Dubois/Puljujarvi is quite the same.

We all know that heading into the 2016 draft, everyone was talking about "the big three" (Matthews, Laine and Puljujarvi). No one was talking about Dubois but he was in the top 5 consensus discussion. Taking him at three wasn't a big reach. Most had Dubois and Matt Tkachuk at 4/5 depending on who you are reading/following.

Fast forward to this year, and we have another "big three". The difference here though is I am not so sure that Kotkaniemi is in that 4-5 discussion either. If he wasn't a center, he might not be in the discussion in the top 10 (of course that's just my opinion, not fact). Kotkaniemi going 3rd overall would be a pretty big reach IMO, and certainly a much bigger one then Dubois going 3rd to CBJ in 2016.

I'm not sure that's true anymore. Corey Pronman had Kotkaniemi 4th overall in his final ranking. I honestly wouldn't be surprised at all to see Kotkaniemi in the top six this year. And at the same time, I think Zadina is dropping from that "big three" and it's just a "big two" now. So yes, it's not the exact same situation but it's close - Puljujarvi was rated more highly than Zadina but same can be said about Dubois and Kotkaniemi. In that sense, the difference between the two is similar (Zadina&Kotkaniemi and Puljujarvi&Dubois I mean).

EDIT: Recrutes.ca also has Kotkaniemi #4 in their ranking and going to Montreal in their mock draft.

[als_revenge]

I believe Kotkaniemi had dinner with three teams, and the only team I've heard so far was Detroit. Would be interesting to know if Montreal was one of the teams. It's actually not outrageous because the difference between Zadina and Kotkaniemi isn't huge.



This is true.

Edmonton had dinner with the kid too; it's a story on the atheletic today.

[ericdaoust]

It must be 2018 because we're now tracking each prospect's dinner dates

[Jouko-Pouko]

I'm not sure that's true anymore. Corey Pronman had Kotkaniemi 4th overall in his final ranking. I honestly wouldn't be surprised at all to see Kotkaniemi in the top six this year. And at the same time, I think Zadina is dropping from that "big three" and it's just a "big two" now. So yes, it's not the exact same situation but it's close - Puljujarvi was rated more highly than Zadina but same can be said about Dubois and Kotkaniemi. In that sense, the difference between the two is similar (Zadina&Kotkaniemi and Puljujarvi&Dubois I mean).

EDIT: Recrutes.ca also has Kotkaniemi #4 in their ranking and going to Montreal in their mock draft.

Craig Button has Kotkaniemi at #5, so that's now three rankings having him in the top 5.