DRAFT: Jesperi Kotkaniemi profile

AGE:17
HEIGHT:6'1''
WEIGHT:189
TEAM:Assat Pori
CSS RANKING:6th among European Skaters
Showing the skill to perform against top talent at a young age is a sure-fire way to get noticed by NHL scouts. Combine that with a down year for top-tier draft eligible center talent, and you have the recipe for Jesperi Kotkaniemi to hear his named called early in this year's NHL draft.
The Finnish center, who will be drafted while just 17 years-old, has already been showing incredible talent in his home country's top pro league.

Kotkaniemi, who plays for Assat of Liiga, saw his game blossom this past season as a physical forward who knows how to share the puck.
In 57 games, he accounted for 29 points (10G, 19A). And at an age where most would assume those points were accompanied by a number of defensive blunders, Kotkaniemi ended the season just -1.
Looking back on his productive season, Kotkaniemi did not think he would get the exposure he did on Assat.
"I only went into the season expecting to play 30 games," he said. "Playing 57 was a really big accomplishment. I am just 17 and that is what is normal for a young player in this league."

The center's youth isn't evident in his two-way approach to the game.
Kotkaniemi told chicagoblackhawks.com that he not only wants to produce in the offensive end as a point scorer, but also be considered strong in the defensive zone and recognizes it as an extremely important skill for his development.
Performing in Liiga was not the only way the center caught the attention of scouts.
Kotkaniemi put on a show for Team Finland at the U-18 World Junior Championship. He tallied nine points (3G, 6A) in seven games as the Finns took home the gold medal.
He was also recognized as a top-three player on the tournament-winning team.
"He's a playmaker with good hockey sense, a good compete level, a quick shot and a nose for the net," said NHL.com's Mike G. Morreale.
The draft analyst also noted the great production through the U-18 tournament as a reason for such acclaim for one of Finland's brightest young stars.
Kotkaniemi still wasn't done as he joined his country's U-20 team for three games of International Junior action.
The center averaged a point per game in that short period and showed that even against a higher level of play, he can hold his own.

Following a great season and on the brink of a major step toward an NHL career, Kotkaniemi set his sights on the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo with one goal in mind: enjoy the time.
With constant attention from media, the fitness testing and numerous meetings with each team's hockey operations staff and executives, it was a tall task for the young Finn.
"Each day has been very busy," he said. "The fitness testing was rough, but I thought I did very well. I really just want to enjoy this experience."

Busy would be an understatement for how one would describe Kotkaniemi's days in Buffalo, considering he met with 25 different clubs.
Even with all the meetings, the center still seems to be unsure about where his future career may lead him.
"I don't really know about that," he said. "I really would like to go in the top 10, that's my dream."
While the top 10 would obviously be an ideal place for him to land, it may not be as high as the player he models his game after - Aleksander Barkov.
Barkov, a fellow Finnish player, was selected second overall by the Florida Panthers in 2013 and is the player Kotkaniemi most hopes to resemble.
"I'd like to follow (Aleksander) Barkov, he is my favorite player," he said. "He is very calm when he is on the ice and is a big guy like me."
With Barkov enjoying a breakout season in Florida, a similar timeframe for Kotkaniemi's transition to the NHL is expected.
After signing an extension with Assat, it might be two years before the center is with an NHL organization.
There are still many questions around which team will pull the trigger on selecting Kotkaniemi, but whoever does will add a young player poised for strong development.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:
"Kotkaniemi has been a top-six forward for his league team in Finland all season and had a very solid U18 season relative to his historical peers in the league. He has very good hands that are high-end, if not flashing elite. He can make very skilled plays off an entry, but what impresses me is how well he can control the puck and keep plays alive." - per Corey Pronman of the Athletic.
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