Islanders: Jesperi Kotkaniemi Trade Proposal Is Wild

While getting in a YouTube wormhole today I found a trade proposal that was too bad not to share with you guys involving the New York Islanders and Canadiens.

It’s no secret, I miss hockey. The New York Islanders haven’t played a game in almost two months and I was having the itch today so I got in a YouTube wormhole. It started with a video of the David Volek goal, it is the anniversary after all, and progressively got worse.

Somehow, I stumbled onto a Montreal Canadiens YouTube page that has a really big following. They have 13,000 subscribers, people are actually tuning into this guy, and they discussed quite possibly the worst trade proposal of all-time.

Now, before I tell you what the proposal was, it was raised by a commenter but this was still talked about for a 10-minute video and the YouTuber tried to actually talk through this trade like it was believable.

Here’s the proposal, brace yourself:

I wish I was making this up. I don’t even know where to begin but I guess I’ll start with what the Islanders would be getting. Jesperi Kotkaniemi was the third overall pick from 2018, and to date, he’s been underwhelming in the NHL.

In 79 games last year he had 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) and this past year in 36 games he had eight points…eight! The Canadiens would likely pick somewhere between seventh and 11th in the NHL Draft so add a top-10ish pick into the mix too.

Barzal is a top-line center, 22-years-old with a Calder Trophy to his name. Devon Toews is a bonafide top-four defenseman with offensive potential. You’re going to get BOTH for a first and Jesperi freaking Kotkaniemi?

My brain hurts from trying to understand the logic behind this move. In what world is a top-line center who is 22 years old and a top-four d-man who is 26 worth just a first and a prospect?

I don’t care that the kid is 19 years old, he’ll probably get better but even still that isn’t enough to get it done. The Islanders are a team on the brink of the playoffs, and a team that was in the second round last year, they’re going to trade two of their best players for “pieces to put around Oliver Wahlstrom and Noah Dobson”

I’m genuinely flabbergasted that someone actually sat down and thought this through to the point where they thought it was realistic compensation and then commented on the internet for all to see.

Maybe I’m just extra irritable because I haven’t watched sports in 60 days but this one really set me off. It was too dumb not to share with you so now you have to be angry with me, I couldn’t do it alone.

Here’s the full video if you’re a self-saboteur like me: