After a while, there’s only so much you can get from practices and on-ice sessions. But the Montreal Canadiens are finally getting some mileage out of players within their organization thanks to the 2018 NHL Rookie Showdown.
The Habs released their roster for tonight’s game against the Ottawa Senators highlighted by third-overall pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The 18-year-old has stood out in the majority of the games he’s been in since being drafted, and he’ll get the chance to extend that. Who he has on his wings will be interesting. Kotkaniemi likes to string together a lot of passing plays when the opportunity to present himself, so pairing him with players who can score would be an effective strategy to bring out the best in him.