VANCOUVER, BC - NOVEMBER 17: Montreal Canadiens center Jesperi Kotkaniemi (15) smiles during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on November 17, 2018 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Monreal won 3-2. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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.