Roundup: Do the Montreal Canadiens have trade untouchables?

Emmanuel: That is a difficult question to answer. He arguably should have spent the entirety of this current season in the AHL. Even before his injuries, he came out of the gate, looking as if he had not taken the next step in developing his game. I believe if he trains properly in the offseason and grows into his body and works on his skating, he would be more suited for an NHL role next season. Giving him the third line job again and going from there would be a nice starting point.

Omar White: This question would be harder to answer if Jesperi Kotkaniemi didn’t jump right into the NHL out of the draft. His rookie season had good enough signs to warrant positive things moving forward for the 19-year-old, and unfortunately, things didn’t go his way. Because of all that, it’s easy to see Kotkaniemi in the AHL as a demotion even though there is a lot more behind it.

Kotkaniemi would benefit from a full year with the Laval Rocket as things aren’t shaping up roster-wise for him to be put in good enough situations to succeed. Philip Danault is the number one, while Nick Suzuki proved he can be an effective centre at the NHL level. Max Domi is an RFA, but it seems as if he will be signed and is above Kotkaniemi on the priority charts while having him on the fourth line doesn’t make sense.

Having Kotkaniemi in the AHL will give him an opportunity to play first-line minutes and be the number one guy on a team desperate to make the playoffs. At the same time, Joël Bouchard has done wonders with the culture of that team, and his style of coaching will complement Kotkaniemi’s style of play. That’s not to say Kotkaniemi will spend the entire 2020-21 season in the minors, but I think it’s safe to say he’ll likely start there unless he forces the coaching staff to keep him in the NHL after training camp.