Whether Montreal Canadiens fans wanted him or not, they’re now seeing a young and promising Jesperi Kotkaniemi grow and mature right before their eyes.
The spotlight has never shone brighter on the 20-year-old Finnish centre who was taken third overall by the Canadiens in the 2018 NHL Draft, largely to help fill the team’s over 20-year void at the centre position.
Some pundits and fans believe (even still to this day) that the Canadiens may have been better off taking fellow centre Brady Tkachuk, or even defenceman Quinn Hughes, at third overall. Both players have played above expectations for their respective franchises which may have accelerated anxieties some may have about Kotkaniemi’s play, even if history has shown that not all centres rack up points immediately.