Jesperi Kotkaniemi making the Montreal Canadiens out of camp was a pleasant surprise. Management gave the 18-year-old a chance to prove whether he could handle the grind of the NHL and he proved he had the drive to do it during the preseason.
In many ways, Max Domi‘s five-game suspension was a blessing in disguise. Kotkaniemi ended up taking his spot in between Jonathan Drouin and Joel Armia looking good doing it. His offensive awareness and playmaking ability is an easy quality to notice. Kotkaniemi is always looking for ways to advance the puck whether it’s during pressure in the opponents’ end or on the rush.