Jesperi Kotkaniemi Just Publicly Confirmed a Major Rumour about his time in Montreal
PUBLICATION
Joe El-Khoury
May 29, 2023 (9:39)
The recent guest of Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek on their podcast "32 Thoughts" was none other than the young Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
During the interview, Jesperi Kotkaniemi opened up like never before, especially about his challenging stint with the Montreal Canadiens.
Kotkaniemi's Doubts Are Confirmed
Here is how he explained his difficulties in his second season with the Habs:
"Jesperi Kotkaniemi on 32TP admits his second year in Montreal was tough, due to injuries, and also because he was reading too much into what the media was saying. It kind of got to him. (it affected him) [...]"
- NHL Watcher
This confirms some of the circulating rumors. Kotkaniemi was truly affected by what the fans and media were saying about him.
It surely played a role in what happened next, with the accepted offer sheet, jabs in the media, and everything else.
Remember, in his first year with the CH, he tallied 34 points, before falling back to 8 points the following year.
This season, 22-year-old Kotkaniemi has amassed 18 goals and 25 assists in 82 games.
He still has work to do to prove he can be more than just a third-line center, but his end-of-season performance was certainly a step in the right direction.
After all, the Canes are heavily invested in making this project work, as they've signed Kotkaniemi to a $4.82 million per year deal through 2030.
Do you think this is a good contract? What do you see as Kotkaniemi's potential?
Watch the full interview here:
Via: NHL Watcher
POLL |
MAI 29 | 130 ANSWERS Jesperi Kotkaniemi Just Publicly Confirmed a Major Rumour about his time in Montreal What do you think is Kotkaniemi's potential? |
1st line centre | 4 | 3.1 % |
2nd line centre | 43 | 33.1 % |
3rd line centre | 61 | 46.9 % |
4th line centre at most | 22 | 16.9 % |
List of polls |
|
38 minutes ago | By Elias Adaime Hughes Reveals Who He Would Have Drafted with the Two Picks Traded to Colorado for Newhook |
|
2 hours ago | By Elias Adaime Change of Plans for the Canadiens as Source Suggests Owen Beck's Time in Laval Is Over |
|
3 hours ago | By Elias Edmonson Special Guest Attended the Canadiens Game Last Night, Organization Has Released a Statement |
|
10 hours ago | By Elias Edmonson Analyst Proposes Bold Move to Bring Former Cup Champion to Montreal to Play with Demidov |
|
16 hours ago | By Elias Edmonson Habs Announcement: It Has Just Been Confirmed for Logan Mailloux and Another Forward |
|
16 hours ago | By Elias Edmonson The Firing of Martin St-Louis Had Already Been Considered Before Everything Changed Quickly |
|
18 hours ago | By Elias Edmonson Patrik Laine Opens Up with Full Transparency and Shares a Sad Statement on His Struggles |
|
19 hours ago | By Elias Edmonson Reinforcements Arrive for the Canadiens as Two Young Players Join the Team at Their Hotel |
Previously on HabsFanatics