Jesperi Kotkaniemi has been in the spotlight since before he was drafted. As soon as there were rumblings that the Montreal Canadiens would take the rising prospect third overall, people were apprehensive about his merits.
After his first game at the rookie tournament which saw him on the ice for a goal against from fourth overall pick Brady Tkachuk, he said he would get better every day. There has been adversity since then, of course. A struggle in his second season led to him finishing the regular season in the American Hockey League with an injury.