It's no secret that the Montreal Canadiens' former third overall pick, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, had a horrible end to the season and playoffs.
Kotkaniemi, who was making $6.1 million this season, had 0 goals (and 2 points) in 14 playoff games with the Hurricanes.
Clearly, his head coach realized this and his playing time has drastically dropped. He's playing much less in Carolina, compared to his usage with the Tricolore (almost 15 minutes per game with MTL vs. 12 minutes per game with the Canes)
Fans have spotted a splint (or cast) on KK's right hand. Was he playing injured? It seems to be the case and that could explain a lot of things, including his non-existent production in the last few months.