Jesperi Kotkaniemi proving detractors wrong during Stanley Cup playoffs

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.

There are examples of centres, from Joe Thornton, to fellow Finn Aleksander Barkov, who took some time before turning into the players they are now.

But throughout this postseason, Kotkaniemi has shown why he was worth selecting third overall. He has four goals in seven games, which is good enough to lead the Habs and also an impressive historical feat for someone his age.

The youngster’s size and strength have also been on display. While he only had two hits in Sunday’s game, Kotkaniemi is now regularly winning puck battles and having opposing players bounce off him, a drastic improvement from his past two regular seasons where he more frequently lost the puck and couldn’t consistently handle physical play on the ice.

But even as the light burned on him after Sunday’s game, Kotkaniemi felt it was much more appropriate to discuss finding ways to tie the series after losing Game 3 by a score of 1-0 to go down 2-1 to the top-seeded Philadelphia Flyers.

“I think now is not the right time to talk about that,” Kotkaniemi said after Game 3.

Kotkaniemi’s production on the ice has allowed the Canadiens to trust him in high-pressure situations. The team deployed him against one of the best centres of this current generation in Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin, and leaned on him heavily against the Flyers on Sunday as he led all Canadiens forwards in ice time (19:32).

Kotkaniemi was called upon in the final moments of Game 3 with his team pressing for the equalizer. Carter Hart may have bested him on a shot with seconds to play, but the Canadiens’ desire to use Kotkaniemi at that stage of the game speaks volumes to how the team feels about his recent play.

“He’s hot,” associate head coach Kirk Muller said. “We needed goals. Every game’s different, you have the lead, you could be chasing it. You’ve just got to make those decisions as the game goes on. He had some great opportunities again tonight. He’s got the hot stick. He’s creating opportunities.”

Kotkaniemi says he’s enjoyed playing with skilled wingers Jonathan Drouin and Max Domi, the same linemates he got two goals alongside in Game 2.

“It’s real fun to play with those guys,” Kotkaniemi said. “They’re just flying out there. They’re really skilled and just real fun to play with them.”

It has been fun for the young forward, a remarkable turnaround from where he was at the beginning of February before the realities of the coronavirus pandemic set in.

The centre had been sent down to Montreal’s American Hockey League team, the Laval Rocket, in hopes of finding confidence in his game as he struggled to push through a full NHL season. Kotkaniemi showed flashes of brilliance as he scored one goal and 12 assists in 13 games in Laval before a spleen injury in early March ended his 2020 season.

Or so we all thought.

By the way, sending a young centre to the AHL for more seasoning isn’t a death sentence. It worked out for 2020 Hart Trophy nominee Leon Draisaitl, who split his first professional year in the NHL and junior hockey. The following season, he played a handful of AHL games in Bakersfield.

Now, Kotkaniemi is helping lead the charge for a Canadiens team trying to make a miracle playoff run as a 12th seed. Judging by how the team has used him recently, you can bet the Canadiens will lean on him for more production going forward.

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