Montreal Canadiens: Jesperi Kotkaniemi Fully Recovered From Injury
Head coach Claude Claude confirmed during a conference call with multiple reporters that Montreal Canadiens forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi had fully recovered from his spleen injury.
Montreal Canadiens forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi had been shut down for the remainder of the season due to a spleen injury sustained in early March. Fortunately for Kotkaniemi, he did not require surgery, which would have potentially led to a longer recovery period.
Although Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s time with the Montreal Canadiens this season was more on the underwhelming side, only recording 8 points in 36 games, he found his stride with the Laval Rocket in the American Hockey League. In 13 games with the Rocket, Kotkaniemi recorded 13 points (1 goal, 12 assists).
Will Jesperi Kotkaniemi Join the Montreal Canadiens for the Qualifying Round?
In recent reports, it was confirmed Jesperi Kotkaniemi would be returning to North America via Finland to join the Montreal Canadiens camp. With hockey season looking to resume in the next month and Kotkaniemi being given the all-clear, it is possible the 19-year old may find his way back into the Canadiens lineup to face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the qualifying round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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However, it is important to note that Claude Julien mentioned that he cannot make these kinds of decisions just yet. He further mentioned that the decision to partake in the qualifying round is of the player’s own volition, so Claude Julien cannot implement Jesperi Kotkaniemi in the lineup if he is one of the players, if any, that choose to opt-out of participating.
What I am happy about is that he’s actually been deemed healthy. He had an injury at the end of the year that really set him back, so the stop to the season has given a lot of the guys around the League with long-term injuries an opportunity to come back.
The Montreal Canadiens are a better team on paper when Kotkaniemi, who is now healthy, is in the Montreal Canadiens lineup. Therefore, it is difficult to see why Claude Julien would not want to use Kotkaniemi if he opts to play. As Julien mentions, this is a decision that will be easier to make when all Canadiens players have returned to training camp.