Canes Sign Kotkaniemi To Offer Sheet/Habs Don't Match
- Thread starter andyt
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Meh ... it was/is a "mistake" to play Necas at wing. It was/is also a "mistake" to let Aho play center. I'm past everybody's classifications on that kind of stuff. Bottom line ... Carolina's current management and coaching group have a really good track record of managing the positional use issue so if they feel a kid can grow and contribute in a position, then ... cool. There are two future openings at center for the Canes. Staal's more defense-oriented slot should be in play in another year or two because of age and general wear and tear. Trocheck's secondary scoring line slot could be up for grabs as soon as next summer depending on how much that contract extension would cost and what's in the pipeline to replace him. If Kotkaniemi is going to start out on the wing, then there's some time to figure out the fit at center ice down the road ... same as they have rather successfully done with Necas. Reminder ... nearly every prospect analyst said he was a pure center and that you'd lose his creativity and stifle his development at wing, which has been utter bollocks. Again, the same people said Aho wouldn't ever be an effective first line center in the NHL, which is also utter bollocks.
CanadaCanes
Well-known member
The Canes have some really promising young forwards in the next couple of years coming like Jarvis, Drury, Suzuki, Rees and Bokk...it's not necessarily a bad thing to have KK acquaint himself with the org as a winger to start and eventually slide into a center role when or if Trochek or Staal move on. Honestly, both Necas and KK could slot in as centers eventually and let a kid or two like Jarvis and Suzuki play the wing as youngsters just like Aho and Necas have done.
That's been the development path for offensive minded player in this system for some time now. Heck, it started under Peters really ... although there's a chance that was just Peters not trusting Aho to play center due to his size. Learning the basics of responsible two way play with more limited territorial responsibility is the obvious benefit of braking guys in on the wing even when it's not their natural position. Good communication and having an actual plan for those guys is the difference between it working and just ticking them off. The Canes had to do a LOT of work on Necas that year he was down in the AHL feeling like he was banished to the wing. He pouted for a while, but it worked out more than fine in the end.
TheBigKahuna
Well-known member
What kind of numbers will KK have to put up, to get all of those naysayers north of the border, to shut up about the signing? The Canes and KK have been THE talk of hockey social media for a week solid.
100 points. Seriously, they're never shutting up. May as well get used to it. Carolina is in a no win situation with Canadiens fans anyway, so who really gives a crap?
If he can put up 45-50 points this year I think most reasonable people will be satisfied that it wasn't a dumb move. Of course they'll also need to re-sign him to a reasonable extension.
cmaleski2
Well-known member
To me KK just needs to crack 35-40 points and show defensive awareness.
KK's point total is going to be influenced significantly by who he plays with.
If he ends up playing LW with Jordan Staal and Jesper Fast and on the 2PP unit with Nino, Staal, Necas and whoever our #2 PP Dman option is, 35-40 point would be really good.
If he ends up playing LW with Aho and Turbo or Trocheck and Necas AND he sees ample PP#1 time, anything under 40 points would be a disappointment.
But again, I'm also as much about his defensive awareness as I am his offensive contributions. Brindy and crew are going to give him a crash course also on faceoffs, even with him likely not playing much center. He needs to get better there. And Billy Burniston is going to give him a Canes style conditioning ass kicking for sure.
KK's point total is going to be influenced significantly by who he plays with.
If he ends up playing LW with Jordan Staal and Jesper Fast and on the 2PP unit with Nino, Staal, Necas and whoever our #2 PP Dman option is, 35-40 point would be really good.
If he ends up playing LW with Aho and Turbo or Trocheck and Necas AND he sees ample PP#1 time, anything under 40 points would be a disappointment.
But again, I'm also as much about his defensive awareness as I am his offensive contributions. Brindy and crew are going to give him a crash course also on faceoffs, even with him likely not playing much center. He needs to get better there. And Billy Burniston is going to give him a Canes style conditioning ass kicking for sure.
CanadaCanes
Well-known member
The second part is the key for me...a reasonable extension and a long term Hurricane for years to come is the key to success for KK. I hate the move if it ends up being a one year overpay and "an agent that wants to flee after a one year take the money and run plan", which I really do not see happening, but one never really knows I guess!
I just figure if you make the bold move the Canes made, you're going to want to see him force their hands into giving him a bigger role.
You're right though, if you're being reasonable, you should be able to look at everything in context and it's not just a hard number like 45 points that will decide what's "successful."
That said, the question was "What kind of numbers will KK have to put up, to get all of those naysayers north of the border, to shut up about the signing?"
We're not really talking about the reasonable people who will really look at context the way we might.
Habsy
Not playing around anymore.
If he get to 50-55 points he’s on his way. That’s realistic.
People asking for 45-ish points ... that's pretty much what Necas put up in his rookie year (adjusted for the short season). That was with pretty much third line ice time and second PP unit duty. That seems a decent enough target for "realistic" people. Enough to warrant an extension along the lines of what has been discussed. Plus, if he does that, then Kotkaniemi would be out-producing the guy he basically replaces in the top 9 ... Foegele. Take everything else out of the picture and that's your basic starting point here.
KK balances out the center options on each line, so he may take more draws than we think. It might allow the center he’s with to be more aggressive in the circle, knowing that there is another center on the line if Aho, etc. get kicked out. And RBA can play lefty/righty with him too. If he’s with Trocheck and he gets kicked out, RBA can put the right shot Necas in or KK depending on which side of the ice the draw is on. Same on Staal’s line, although we probably won’t see Fast take a lot of draws.
HurryCanes
Well-known member
I’m excited to see him as well as the rest of our forwards get cooking. Exciting group and I’m getting more stoked by the day to get this show on the road.