Montreal Canadiens: Jesperi Kotkaniemi has high aspirations for his future

Montreal Canadiens first-round pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi is ready to show what he can do in the organization and hopes he can be as good as a former great.

For weeks Jesperi Kotkaniemi looked to be the option for the Montreal Canadiens. Other names slipped into the organization’s view, but they proved on the podium that the Finnish centre was their guy. The front office was jacked about it, and the fanbase was polarizing towards it, but it’s a positive step forward for the Habs.

Kotkaniemi had a big smile on his face after Trevor Timmins called out his name. That smile never faded as he walked on to the stage, had his first presser as part of the organization, and most importantly, for those iconic draft day pictures.

Something the 17-year-old mentioned pulled on a lot of heartstrings. Saku Koivu was a solid player for the Montreal Canadiens and faced a lot of adversity during his time with the team. His journey to the NHL started at the draft after the Habs selected him 21st overall in 1993. Koivu went on to play 13 seasons in Montreal where 9 of them were served as team captain being the first European player to do so.

Kotkaniemi hopes that he can have the same impact as Koivu with the Montreal Canadiens saying:

"I hope someday I will be as good as him. That’s my mission."

It’s safe to say many are excited to see what he will do. The first stop for Kotkaniemi will be development camp in July. After that is a mystery, but at least the mystery of who the Montreal Canadiens draft third overall is solved.

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Morning Links

Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s ability to remain cool at his most nervous moment is a good sign for the Canadiens (The Athletic)

There will be times in his career where Kotkaniemi will need to perform under pressure, his composure at the draft could hint at that.

No quick fix for sustained success, Habs’ Bergevin says (Gazette)

This sentiment was most likely a big part of their decision Friday night.