[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Finnish Edition, Vol. 2):

LD Jesper Kotajarvi (6'0",179lbs)
Tappara (U20): 24gp/ 5g/ 5a/ 10pts, +4, 38 PIM
Tappara (Liiga): 12gp/ 1g/ 0a/ 1pt, -2, 2 PIM

Defenseman Jesper Kotajarvi (ranked #32 for EU Skaters by Central Scouting) has been playing tag with fellow blueliner Lasse Boelius for who will be the top player out of Finland in the 2025 Draft, which might not be saying much for the state of hockey in that country. There's plenty of reason to believe though, that Kotajarvi is a much better offensive performer than his numbers show this season, as his 0.62 ppg in 2023-24 (23 points in 37 games) eclipse his 0.42 ppg from this year by a fair margin, and he has produced at every level he's played- he even had 4 games in the Mestis (Finland's second-tier Men's league) when he was just 15 years-old. Kotajarvi can play the right-side seamlessly, and he is an excellent skater who pushes pace and plays aggressively, with the speed to separate in open ice. He is slippery and elusive on his edges, giving him superb agility and lateral quickness to sidestep checks, and he can slip through contact with quick turns and cuts. He is an expert puckhandler who maintains control through traffic when under pressure, and doesn't slow down when in possession. Despite being below average in size for a rearguard, his puck-protection is exceptional.

Deception is a huge part of Kotajarvi's game, and he employs every feint imaginable to make room to move, including head-fakes, look-offs, toe-drags, and dekes, as well as changes in pace and direction, and shifts of weight in his stride. Cut-backs and delays are a way for him to create room for teammates, as well as himself, by drawing pressure to open space for distribution. He is a high-value transitional player, and can drive possession via pass or carry through controlled exits and entries; he can rush the puck through the neutral zone by himself while maneuvering through defenders with slick one-on-one expertise. He's a highly-skilled puck-mover, and can lead the rush from defense to offense, showing calmness and poise through his smooth retrievals to his deft breakout passes. With his team installed in the zone, he displays deception in walking the line to pry open passing seams, and exhibits a high level of vision and creativity on his smart passes. He's quite aggressive in activating in on the weak side for high-danger opportunities, and he will pinch up the boards to pass to the slot. There's a high-risk, high-reward factor in his offensive zone play, as sometimes mistakes can be made with the chances he takes.

Kotajarvi may not be the most physical player, but he finishes his checks, and will lower the boom once in a while with a bone-rattling hit. He is competitive and doesn't shy away from the rough stuff- he battles for loose pucks in all of the greasy areas, and 38 PIM in 24 games shows he's not gentle about it. Defensively, he shows good habits and a high workrate, but his details are lacking a bit, and I don't think he's making 100% of the stops he should be making. He's solid in his own zone positioning-wise, but sometimes has difficulty handling bigger players in front of his net. His gaps are tight, and he plays well against the rush in an effort to kill plays in the neutral zone, with excellent angling on the strength of a well-timed, active stick. I would go out on a limb to suggest that Kotajarvi may have a higher ceiling than Boelius, despite his rather poor stats, but he's a riskier pick in my view. Look for him in the third-round.