A highly skilled, two-way playmaker that loves to battle in the corners and in front of the net, Jesperi Kotkaniemi proved himself this past season as a "jack of all trades" that can thrive in all situations while competing for Assat Pori in Finland's top league.
In 57 games as a 17-year-old professional rookie, Kotkaniemi did not at all look overmatched scoring 10 goals and 29 points while earning key minutes on the power play and gradually working his way into penalty-killing duty.
The experience came through versus his peers at the 2018 IIHF world Junior Championship, where Kotkaniemi's two-way proficiency saw him collect three goals and nine points in Finland's seven-game march to the gold medal.
Kotkaniemi has great sense in the offensive zone. While not being the most explosive skater in the draft class, his quick feet get him where he needs to be with a knack for navigating traffic and finding the soft spots in coverage. He'll regularly generate quality chances, both with his passing skills and very quick release when opting to fire.
He demonstrates excellent puck control entering the zone, and he puts the work in when battling along the walls to gain possession.
Offensive ability aside, Kotkaniemi is a smart and aware defensive player. He is highly mature with his positional details, be it down the wing or when manning the middle, and he is very deft with his hands, executing quick stick-lifts to strip pucks and get the play moving in the right direction.
While strong on his skates in his 6-foot-2 frame, Kotkaniemi has an efficient physical element that focusses on a more calculated approach to using his body as opposed to others that execute with a more pure and energetic hitting game.
Kotkaniemi has two years remaining on his contract with Assat, meaning a team could comfortably let him develop his overseas against a high level of competition and build up strength prior to making what should be a seamless North American entry.
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