Habs 2010
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 1,514
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Definite top 6, too soon to comment on his ceiling IMO.
Had a better rookie season than Dach, Hughes, Kakko, etc., all of which are still considered top prospects around the league. Crapped the bed the next season, but bounced back in a big way in playoffs with 4 goals and dominated scoring chances when he was on the ice.
He then went to Finland, and had no pts in first 4 games before finishing with 8 pts in last 6.
When he was drafted, Timmins said they were taking the player that may not be the most NHL ready but had the most potential in a few years, I'm not sure why KK making the NHL in his first season has caused habs fans to forget that.
For comparison sake, Suzuki is a year older, so KK still has more development time. My prediction (which is likely not that popular) is that KK will one day become MTL's #1C ahead of Suzuki. I don't know when that will happen, but I think KK's size and powerful shot will give him the edge over Suzuki once his game is fully developed. Both players are considered to be below average skaters with high IQ, KK has the edge in size, so if Suzuki can improve his skating, much like Brayden Point had to do to take his game to the next level, then he could also be an elite C.
So in summary, a top 6 C, ceiling is not clear yet - I think this season will be very telling.
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