Looking for opinions on Petri Kontiola of Rockford

[Svartsengi]

I was looking at the Blackhawks depth chart and Kontiola is stuck behind Toews and Bolland. He is older than them but just 24 and has put up some pretty decent numbers in the AHL. Do you think he can be a second line center in the NHL for Calgary this year or in future?.

http://stats.theahl.com/stats/player.php?id=1973

[moon]

Originally Posted by Svartsengi

I was looking at the Blackhawks depth chart and Kontiola is stuck behind Toews and Bolland. He is older than them but just 24 and has put up some pretty decent numbers in the AHL. Do you think he can be a second line center in the NHL for Calgary this year or in future?.

http://stats.theahl.com/stats/player.php?id=1973

Never seen the guy play but I find it hard to believe that a guy that could be a second line center on the Flames this year can't crack the Blackhawks line-up at all no matter who it is that he is playing behind.

Less than a point per game in the AHL doesn't really scream second line center in the NHL either.

[Svartsengi]

Dustin Boyd wasn't a point per game guy in the AHL and he may turn into a second line forward. Chicago has a pretty good team would be tough to crack that roster.

Just looking around the minor league rosters to see what is there. Sutter has picked up players before to nobody has ever heard of and it has worked out and not cost us a bundle to acquire them.

[Canada 02]

some have said similar things about Pittsburgh's depth at cneter and how Ryan Stone was an NHL talent stuck in the AHL, unable to get a crack because of the superstars ahead of him

[moon]

Originally Posted by Svartsengi

Dustin Boyd wasn't a point per game guy in the AHL and he may turn into a second line forward. Chicago has a pretty good team would be tough to crack that roster.

Just looking around the minor league rosters to see what is there. Sutter has picked up players before to nobody has ever heard of and it has worked out and not cost us a bundle to acquire them.

Kontiola may turn out to be a second line center or better, my comment was in regards to him being our second line center this season.

As tough as the Hawks roster is to crack I still don't think that a guy should go from unable to make their roster to the 2nd line center on the Flames this season. The team has too much depth itself for that to happen.

[Da_Chief]

Kontiola from what I've heard is very talented. Definitely a top 6 forward if he puts it together. The Hawks have too much depth right now, theres no point of him playing 4th line, so hes stuck behind Toews, Bolland, Sharp( or whoever their top 3 are).

He did threaten to go back home earlier, i don't what happened with that.

He could be available, but Hawks wud probably want a good prospect in return.

Interesting player though

[kekkone]

Kontiola is skilled playmaking center and he has definitely NHL future. Going into training camp he was fighting with Bolland to get the #3 center spot. He was favourite to take that spot but he had a bad camp and was dropped to AHL. Bolland have been great this season. That could have been Kontiola as well. He needs to work harder in summer and add muscle and he will propably make it to NHL next season.

I haven't seen him playing in North America but he was fun to watch in Finland. Skating and loving the puck too much are his biggest problems.

He's not Flames type of player so I doubt he will ever play for us.

[SparkyOne]

Kontiola can make plays happen and can score. He's fast. I'd definitely say he's NHL material....he just has to find his place!

He's one of the guys that I hate to see on the ice against the Flames....

[dobbles]

i just noticed that kontiola was part of the wisniewski trade made by the hawks. he was another young talented player i thought would help the blackhawks really get going in teh next few years. but i think as the OP noted last month, that he had just been passed by too many others. if anything, its nice to see him out of rockford so he isn't beating up on us!

[SparkyOne]

My thought exactly when I heard about the trade, dobbles!

Thank goodness he's gone....a fun player to watch, awesome with the puck, but he sure had our number!!!