Montreal Canadiens: Jesperi Kotkaniemi Has an Advantage Next Season

The Montreal Canadiens have announced that Jesperi Kotkaniemi will be heading to Finland to play for Assat.

The Montreal Canadiens will be loaning forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi to HC Ässät Pori Oy, the team announced on Friday. Jesperi Kotkaniemi will be expected to report back to the Canadiens at the start of training camp for the 2020-21 regular season.

It is no secret that Jesperi Kotkaniemi dealt with a sophomore slump in the 2019-20 regular season, playing in 36 games where he recorded 8 points (6 goals, 2 assists) before being sent down to the Laval Rocket of the AHL. Whilst playing under Joel Bouchard, head coach of the Montreal Canadiens farm, Jesperi Kotkaniemi found his game again and went on to tally 13 points (1 goal, 12 assists) in 13 games played.

When the Montreal Canadiens training camp began as a result of the NHL’s Return to Play, Kotkaniemi was to be a part of that roster and he did not waste a single moment of it. Against both the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers and the Philadelphia Flyers in the Playoffs, Kotkaniemi played some of his best hockey in a Montreal Canadiens jersey.

Although he did not reach the numbers Nick Suzuki did in their time in the bubble, Kotkaniemi nonetheless played a strong game with the newfound confidence from playing in Laval and the fire lit under him as a result of being sent down. In 10 games played, Kotkaniemi had 4 goals.

Due to talks that the NHL season may not begin until February of next year, it will be a long while before many players get another chance to lace up their skates to play competitive hockey. As a result, the Montreal Canadiens, like many other NHL clubs with young players, opted to loan Jesperi Kotkaniemi to the team he had initially played for prior to being drafted 3rd overall in 2018.

This can only serve as beneficial for the 20-year old centreman who should continue elevating his game to new levels in order to solidify both his spot with the Montreal Canadiens next season, as well as a top-6 spot that he found success with during the NHL’s Return to Play. Whilst still being one of the youngest centres in the NHL, ensuring that Jesperi Kotkaniemi properly develops will be key to both the player and the Montreal Canadiens.

Moreover, there will be many players who will not be making the jump to play for a European team and may have more rust to shake off as opposed to those who do play. Jesperi Kotkaniemi, as well as several other loaned players, will be playing competitively until the start of their respective training camps. Therefore, the possibility remains that these players may have a slight edge over players who will may still be finding their stride early in the new season.