Kotkaniemi is a strong two-way center that manages his own zone well and creates offensive chances…solid skater with good all-round mobility…not the fastest off the mark, but will get faster as he adds leg strength…quick, skilled hands with the puck…a strong playmaker not only because he puts the puck on his teammates blade, but more so because he possesses great puck poise and patience for the best option to present itself…he has a sneaky quick release and puts his shots on target…protects the puck in traffic and in tight spaces…has a tendency to get a little too individualistic at times and needs to consistently use his teammates to maximise his effectiveness…works hard each and every shift…gets into shooting and passing lanes to close off opportunities…willing to play the body to separate the puck or battle on the wall…defensively responsible…has very strong instincts and gets to the proper areas to both capitalize on a scoring chance as well as to break up a play defensively…solid in the face-off circle…still needs to fill out…has some solid upside as a big two-way center at the NHL level. (July 2017)