With five points in four games, Jesperi Kotkaniemi is having a solid start to his preseason with Ässät. His performance in Thursday’s game was the most recent but still impressive as his third-period goal tied things up while he would get the primary assists on the game-winner in the final minutes of regulation. If the Montreal Canadiens plan to send him back to Liiga for the 2018-19 season, there’s no doubt that he will be a top player in the league.
But that’s still up for debate. For now, the month of August continues, and Kotkaniemi has had another event added to his calendar.