Jesperi Kotkaniemi Just Publicly Confirmed a Major Rumour about his time in Montreal
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
- 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
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