DRAFT: Kotkaniemi parallels Barkov

EDMONTON, AB - Of all the great Finnish players in the National Hockey League, 2018 NHL draft prospect Jesperi Kotkaniemi's style of play is an imitation of compatriot Aleksander Barkov.
"I think he's a little bit of the same kind of player as me but I try to be like him," Kotkaniemi told EdmontonOilers.com at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo, N.Y.
"He's very calm when he's on the ice and I like that."

Kotkaniemi, listed at 6-foot-2 and 190-pounds, lugs around a similar frame as his NHL influence and is a purveyor of the puck. The Assat forward can dictate the pace of play in the offensive zone, thread needles to teammates and boasts an accurate - yet deceptive - wrist shot. All traits Barkov exudes masterfully.
"I think I read the game very well and I find those passing lanes," Kotkaniemi said of his strengths as a forward, also acknowledging what area of his game needs improvement.
"I think I'm an OK skater but I need to improve my quick steps most."
Kotkaniemi finished third on Assat in scoring in his first year in Liiga, notching 10 goals and 19 assists in 57 games.
At the World Under-18s where Finland took home the gold medal, the lefty tallied three goals and six assists in seven matches.
"We had a great team spirit there," said Kotkaniemi of the tournament. "There was a locker room full of great guys. That was the biggest thing."
As a result, Kotkaniemi's draft stock has been rising. Twenty-five NHL clubs interviewed the centre at the Scouting Combine, while three treated him to dinner. The Finn's boost could shake the draft board in Dallas on June 22, providing one franchise middle stability for years once he's ready to make the jump overseas to North America.

"You have the emergence of Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who I now think finds himself inside the top-10 when maybe before he was sitting in about that 15-spot," said Sportsnet Junior Hockey Analyst Sam Cosentino. "That's going to change the complexion of the first group of 10."
Kotkaniemi, who is trying to enjoy every moment ahead of the 2018 NHL Draft, is still learning the English language and said there were questions in his NHL interviews that stumped him.
"There were some pictures with a bus and they asked, 'Where is this bus going?' I didn't know the answer," he said.
But if the bus is a metaphor for the path Kotkaniemi is inevitably going to ride, the first stop will be in the first round.