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Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Jesperi Kotkaniemi Cleared To Return

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Canadiens center Jesperi Kotkaniemi has been cleared to play in their upcoming play-in series against Pittsburgh, reports Arpon Basu of The Athletic (subscription required).  His availability had been in question after he suffered a splenic injury while on assignment with AHL Laval.

The third pick back in 2018 had a difficult sophomore campaign.  After putting up a respectable 34 points in 79 games as the youngest player in the NHL in 2018-19, things went in the opposite direction this season.  His ice time and role dipped as did his production; injuries and general struggles limited him to just 36 games where he had only six goals and two assists.

Kotkaniemi was sent to the AHL in late January where he fared much better, averaging a point per game (1-12-13) in 13 contests before being injured in early March.  He had been ruled out for the year at the time but the extra three-plus months between the scheduled end of the regular season and the planned start of the play-in round have given him enough time to recover.

How Montreal decides to use Kotkaniemi remains to be seen, if he’s high enough on the depth chart to be used at all.  Phillip Danault, Nick Suzuki, and Max Domi are their current top three centers and while Domi could move to the wing, he hasn’t fared as well there which means shifting him over to play the 19-year-old may not make sense.  A fourth line role likely doesn’t make much sense either.  With a three-week training camp on the horizon, there’s still plenty of time for head coach Claude Julien to decide whether or not to use Kotkaniemi against the Penguins but it’s fair to wonder if there will be a spot for him.

East Notes: Chara, Devils GM Position, Kotkaniemi, Meyer

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Almost a year ago, Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara signed a one-year extension (on Mar. 23) as he made it quite clear he wanted to return for another season in Boston. While the league remains suspended, it should be noted that the 43-year-old has not shown the same enthusiasm of signing a contract. Could that signal the end of his career is coming?

When interviewed recently, Chara’s agent Matt Keator, was quite vague about negotiations on a new contract.

“Not thinking about it right now,” said Keator. “Something we’ll all sit down with at the end of the year — Z, me, [Bruins GM] Don Sweeney — and figure out what’s next.”

The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont writes that if the season doesn’t resume, there is a good chance that Chara may have played his last game as a Boston Bruin. While there remains a good chance that the league resumes eventually, which would allow Boston to fight for a Stanley Cup, including Chara, there is a chance that the season gets cancelled and Chara chooses to retire.

Chara still is a solid top pairing defenseman for the Bruins. He averages 21:01 of ATOI, while putting up five goals, 14 points, 60 penalty minutes, 101 hits and has blocked 78 shots in 68 games.

  • The New Jersey Devils might find themselves in bind when it comes to interviewing candidates for their open general manager and coaching positions, according to The Athletic’s Corey Masisak (subscription required). While the team did already interview former Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis two weeks ago, the Devils were hoping to wait until the season was over to interview candidates that are currently employed. With a delay until the season ends, New Jersey could find itself without a permanent GM in place for quite a while, something the team wanted to avoid. Interim general manager Tom Fitzgerald remains a candidate, which could increase the chances of him getting the permanent job. Another option, according to Masisak would be if the NHL allowed teams to interview candidates during the break.
  • The Athletic’s Arpon Basu (subscription required) breaks down the stock of Montreal Canadiens 2018 first-round pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who was lost for the season last week with an injured spleen with little fanfare for a top prospect. The scribe looks at what has happened to the team’s view on the highly regarded rookie last season and how the 19-year-old had lost his confidence during that season and how it hadn’t returned this season, which includes how the centerman was sent to Laval after struggling in his sophomore campaign with just six goals and eight points in 36 games.
  • The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reports that Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Carson Meyer, who completed his senior year at Ohio State University, has signed with an agent, Jeff Boston of Roy Sports Group. Unfortunately, his next step is unclear with the suspension of play at both the NHL or AHL level. Meyer wrapped up his senior year with a career-high 17 goals and although he could wait until August to become an unrestricted free agent, he is an Ohio native, suggesting he might prefer to sign with the team that drafted him.

 

Jesperi Kotkaniemi Out For Rest Of Season

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It certainly hasn’t the sophomore campaign that Jesperi Kotkaniemi or the Montreal Canadiens were hoping for. Now, after struggling to maintain any sort of production in the NHL and spending time in the minor leagues, Kotkaniemi will miss the remainder of the season thanks to a splenic injury. Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports that the young forward will not require surgery, but no recovery timeline has been determined.

There’s no way to describe Kotkaniemi’s 2019-20 season other than disappointing, especially given the flashes of brilliance he showed as a rookie. In 36 games with the Canadiens he scored just eight points, never seeing more than 16 minutes of ice time in a single game. While he has been a point-per-game player at the AHL level, that includes just a single goal in 13 games.

It’s obviously not the end of the world for the 19-year old forward, but when players selected after him in the 2018 draft are already in starring roles—namely Brady Tkachuk and Quinn Hughes, selected at fourth and seventh respectively—it’s a bit frustrating to see the Montreal youngster struggling.

Now that his season is over, Kotkaniemi will have several months to work on his game and come back ready to take a full-time spot in the Canadiens’ lineup. He still has one year remaining on his entry-level contract and a lot to accomplish if he wants a big extension like some of his draft contemporaries will be getting.

Atlantic Notes: Kotkaniemi, Zadina, Sabres

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Jesperi Kotkaniemi hasn’t had the sophomore campaign that he had hoped for. After an impressive rookie season in which the Montreal Candaien scored 11 goals and 34 points, the 19-year-old was hoping to improve on those numbers. Instead it’s been one disappointment after another, which includes a slow start, demotion to the AHL and now a spleen injury.

The Laval Rocket, the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, announced (translation required) that Kotkaniemi suffered a spleen injury and spent Friday night in the hospital. He has been released, but there is no word on how long the young center will be out.

Kotkaniemi started the 2019-20 season with just six goals and eight points in 36 games, prompting the team to send him to Laval in hopes of getting increased playing time there as well as to find his confidence. So far through 13 games, Kotkaniemi has one goals and 13 points.

  • While the playoffs are out of reach for the Detroit Red Wings, the team’s main focus will be on developing their youth. That’s expected to include forward Filip Zadina, who has been out since Feb. 1 with a fractured ankle. MLive’s Ansar Khan reports that Zadina returned to practice Saturday and should be ready to return soon. “I just want to get stronger and get better and get back in the lineup,” Zadina said. “I just need to be a little more patient and get healthy 100 percent, get myself in shape and feel ready to go. Right now, I just want to (spend) most of the time on the ice and in the gym to get stronger.” Head coach Jeff Blashill said it won’t be Sunday, however.
  • The Athletic’s John Vogl (subscription required) looks into the future possibilities this summer when the Buffalo Sabres hit free agency. The scribe breaks down the team’s potential salary cap situation, cautiously estimating that Buffalo should have $21.5MM in available cap room. The team is in need of a second-line center, two right wingers and a left wing. With the right wing market likely to be the strongest at free agency, the team could focus on a player like Mike Hoffman or Tyler Toffoli to fill a need, but the team is unlikely to find help at the other two positions without making trades.

Canadiens To Recommend Cole Caufield Stay At Wisconsin

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One of the most hyped players coming out of the 2019 NHL Draft, it was almost a foregone conclusion that the Montreal Canadiens’ Cole Caufield would be in the NHL as soon as possible. A record-breaking goal-scorer for the U.S. National Team Development Program, Caufield had committed to the University of Wisconsin, but most believed that the 15th overall pick would be one-and-done after his freshman campaign. In fact, it was not outside the realm of possibility that Caufield could have made his NHL debut later this season had the Canadiens made the playoffs.

However, things have not gone according to plan for any of the parties involved. Montreal is not a playoff team, the Wisconsin Badgers are not the national contender that many expected them to be, and Caufield is not ready for the NHL, reports Mathias Brunet of La Presse. Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin tells Brunet that he will recommend that Caufield remain at Wisconsin for another year:

Cole Caufield is having a good year. But, in our eyes, he is not ready. We will make a decision at the end of the year. If he really wants to leave college, we won’t force him, but we’ll recommend that he stay [at Wisconsin]. That doesn’t mean it’s a disappointment. We aim for the best in long-term development.

Bergevin would go on to say that playing for the AHL’s Laval Rocket next season would also be a possibility for Caufield next season, but he feels that even that would be a challenge. While Caufield’s offensive ability is apparent, Bergevin notes that the young sniper’s play without the puck has a long way to go, and that is a crucial part of competing at the pro level. He adds that over-inflated media expectations for the likes of Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Ryan Poehling have hurt those players’ development in the eyes of the team and they hope to prevent the same fate for Caufield. While the slow play could be disappointing to Montreal fans, especially as they look to the future during another disappointing season, is it always better not to rush a young player, especially if the team honestly feels that he is not ready to make the jump.

This news will be received much differently in Madison than it is in Montreal. Assuming Caufield stays at Wisconsin, Badgers fans can hold out hope that an NCAA title run may still be possible. This season has been disappointing from a team perspective, but Caufield has been stellar in his freshman season, leading the team with 19 goals and 35 points in 33 games. Fellow freshman standout Alex Turcotte, selected fifth overall by the Los Angeles Kings last year, is not confirmed to be returning next season, nor is sophomore defenseman and 2018 first-rounder K’Andre Miller (NYR). However, if the trio stays put, the likes of Dylan Holloway (2020), Owen Lindmark (FLA), Ty Emberson (ARI), and Ryder Donovan (VGK) take a step forward, and incoming recruit Cameron Rowe (2020) helps to repair the poor results in net, then the Badgers could do a better job of meeting expectations in the 2020-21 season.

 

Canadiens Assign Jesperi Kotkaniemi To The AHL

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For the first time in his career, Jesperi Kotkaniemi will be playing in the minors as the Canadiens announced that they’ve assigned the 19-year-old to Laval of the AHL.  TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie notes (Twitter link) that this isn’t just a quick demotion to keep him in game shape but that he’ll be down there indefinitely.  Kotkaniemi is eligible to play at 19 in the minors since he wasn’t drafted out of the CHL.

The number three pick in 2018 has struggled considerably in his sophomore NHL season.  He has just eight points (6-2-8) through 36 games this year while his average ice time has dipped to just 13 minutes a night.  That production is well off the pace of his rookie campaign where he picked up 34 points (11-23-34) as the youngest player in the league.

This is the second straight day that Montreal, a team that appears all but destined to be a seller, has sent a young player to the minors as defenseman Cale Fleury was demoted on Friday.  Considering both players were healthy scratches on Thursday, it’s an opportunity for more ice time in the short-term but if the Canadiens move out some of their expiring contracts, both Fleury and Kotkaniemi’s AHL time may be short-lived.

Atlantic Notes: Montreal Injuries, Dermott, Senators, Coburn

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While it looked as if Canadiens winger Paul Byron was nearing a return to the lineup as he was taking a regular turn on the fourth line in Friday’s practice, the team announced (Twitter link) that he will not play tonight and will not join them on their upcoming four-game Western Canada road trip.  Byron was initially slated to miss four weeks and had he returned tonight, he would have returned in that timeframe but it appears he’ll miss longer than originally anticipated.  The team also announced that Jesperi Kotkaniemi (concussion) and Victor Mete (lower body) will be on the upcoming trip, suggesting that they’re nearing returns from their respective injuries.

More from the Atlantic Division:

  • Maple Leafs defenseman Travis Dermott acknowledged to Sportsnet’s Luke Fox that there haven’t been any discussions about a potential contract extension. The pending restricted free agent is still working his way back into form after missing the start of the season due to shoulder surgery and is averaging less than 15 minutes a night which is lower than his averages over his first two seasons.  As a result, Dermott doesn’t appear to be too worried about a new deal just yet, saying that he has “a million other things to worry about”.
  • While the Senators have several quality prospects that are making a push for some NHL time, GM Pierre Dorion told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that they don’t intend to bring them up until there’s a chance for them to make a regular impact. While some teams see value in giving their prospects a taste of the top level, Dorion believes that sending them back and forth can be more detrimental to their development.
  • Tampa Bay defenseman Braydon Coburn is likely out until after the Christmas break, reports Bryan Burns of the Lightning’s team website (Twitter link). The veteran is dealing with a lower-body injury and last played on November 29th.

Minor Transactions: 12/11/19

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After last night’s busy schedule in the NHL only three games are on the docket for this evening. That includes a powerhouse Eastern Conference matchup between the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals however, perhaps a preview of a playoff matchup down the road. Boston and Washington easily lead their respective divisions with 46 and 49 points respectively, making them the best two teams in the NHL at the moment. As they and the rest of the league prepares for tonight, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • With a date against the Ottawa Senators tonight, the Montreal Canadiens have made several transactions. Jesperi Kotkaniemi has been placed on injured reserve, while Ryan Poehling and Christian Folin have been recalled from the AHL. Folin had been on a conditioning stint but could soon make his return to the Montreal lineup. Poehling meanwhile has been on fire for the Laval Rocket and will try to establish himself full-time at the NHL level.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled David Kase from the AHL for the first time in his short professional career. The 22-year old winger had six points in 21 games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms but is defensively responsible and can potentially add another bottom-six option to the Flyers lineup.
  • Filip Zadina has been sent back to the Grand Rapids Griffins, perhaps to get him away from the constant losing with the Detroit Red Wings. While he could be getting sent down just for the day to play tonight for the Griffins, their game is in San Diego while the Red Wings are headed home to play in Detroit tomorrow night. The team has also sent Dennis Cholowski and Dylan McIlrath to the AHL.
  • Aleksi Saarela has been returned to the minor leagues by the Florida Panthers, after making his NHL debut and playing in three games total. The 22-year old prospect is still looking for his first point at the highest level, but is an intriguing player to keep an eye on in the Panthers’ system.
  • After Micheal Ferland was knocked out of last night’s game with an upper-body injury, the Vancouver Canucks have recalled Zack MacEwen from the AHL. MacEwen has played in seven games earlier this year with Vancouver, recording two points.
  • Adam Werner is back up with the Colorado Avalanche and will backup Pavel Francouz tonight, as Philipp Grubauer isn’t quite ready. It looked like the Avalanche would get their starter back for tonight’s action against the Philadelphia Flyers, but it appears as though they’ll have to wait a little longer.
  • Gerry Mayhew is back with the Minnesota Wild, who have recently seen several top players go down to injury. Michael Russo of The Athletic believes the top three centers will be Viktor Rask, Ryan Donato and Joel Eriksson Ek tomorrow night, not exactly what the Wild had in mind at the beginning of the year.

Injury Notes: Chicago, Minnesota, Columbus, Montreal

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The Chicago Blackhawks have placed both Duncan Keith and Andrew Shaw on injured reserve, though both of their designations are retroactive and allow the team to activate them at any point. Without them, the team is down to just 21 players on the active roster meaning they could potentially bring up some more bodies to help out.

More injury placements from around the league:

  • The Minnesota Wild have sent Mikko Koivu back home to see the team doctor, placing him on injured reserve in the process. Greg Pateryn has been recalled from his conditioning stint and placed back on injured reserve, while Nico Sturm has come up from the AHL.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets meanwhile have moved Zach Werenski to injured reserve, retroactive to November 30th. The young defenseman is expected to miss four weeks thanks to a shoulder injury, which opened the door for Andrew Peeke to get his first NHL chance.
  • For the Montreal Canadiens, Jesperi Kotkaniemi has suffered a concussion from the big check he took last night. Kotkaniemi was leveled by Nikita Zadorov in the corner and is out indefinitely, though avoided any other significant damage.

East Notes: Devils, Kotkaniemi, Kakko, Jarry

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The start of the season for the Devils has not gone well, to put it mildly.  Their new acquisitions haven’t been particularly productive and neither has Taylor Hall whose contract situation is on the front burner of the hockey hot stove.  Perhaps even worse, their goaltending, which actually was pretty strong down the stretch last season, has struggled mightily as New Jersey ranks 30th in the league in goals allowed heading into Thursday’s action.

To that end, Jared Clinton of The Hockey News argues that GM Ray Shero should be looking into making a move to shore up their goaltending, one that’s bigger than their recent pickup of Louis Domingue as extra injury insurance.  A combined save percentage of .880 from Cory Schneider and MacKenzie Blackwood isn’t going to get them into the postseason (or close to it) which would certainly lower their odds of re-signing Hall.  If a goalie upgrade can improve both of those chances, it’s something Shero will seriously need to consider.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • The Canadiens are hopeful to get center Jesperi Kotkaniemi back for one of their upcoming games on Friday or Saturday, notes Postmedia’s Stu Cowan. The sophomore has missed six straight games due to a lingering groin issue.  However, head coach Claude Julien indicated that if Kotkaniemi gets the green light to return, he’ll only play in one of those two contests.
  • Rangers winger Kaapo Kakko was a late scratch tonight but it’s not injury-related. The team announced (Twitter link) that he’s dealing with the flu.  The rookie has come on as of late after a slow start as he has five points in his last five games.
  • While Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry made the team as the backup, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggests that their willingness to move him likely hasn’t changed with Casey DeSmith standing by in the minors. However, with only four appearances (three starts) this season, any potentially interested teams will almost certainly need to see more of him in the NHL before considering making a move.

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