Montreal Canadiens: Storylines heading into the 2018 Rookie Camp

1. Is Jesperi Kotkaniemi Ready?

This is an obvious one. Players taken in the top-five of the draft always have an expectation to crack the NHL roster quickly. Kotkaniemi selected at third puts him in that conversation, but he’s also had some very impressive performances this summer playing for Team Finland at the U20s, the Four Nations Tournament, and preseason games for Ässät.

Kotkaniemi has always looked a step above everyone else. His vision and awareness have allowed him to set up a lot of plays whether it’s by noticing the trajectory of a teammate or making the defence-first move to put himself in a position to generate. And the thing about Kotkaniemi is that it’s relentless, he doesn’t stop. He’s always looking for ways to advance the puck forward and pile on pressure on his opponents.

The two cons that are clear to notice is his skating (which isn’t as horrible as some made it out to be) and his susceptibility to a physical presence. Games against the Czech Republic where the clear goal was to shut Kotkaniemi down saw him on the wrong end of hits and holds along the boards. However, that forced him to work harder, and it didn’t seem to be a problem for him in those Liiga games.

Coaches are sure to have the same mentality at the Rookie Tournament, so it will be a good way to mark whether he can handle the grind on the smaller ice surface, which is another hurdle.

The key to dictate whether Kotkaniemi is ready or not will be how far he stands out amongst his peers. If he can take that to main camp, then there’s a good chance the 18-year-old gets a set of games to start the year. Victor Mete had a similar start last year where a strong performance at the Rookie Tournament made its way to a strong training camp and an eventual spot on the team.

Kotkaniemi could find himself down a similar path, but again, the evaluation starts now.