An old decision by Marc Bergevin comes back to haunt the Montreal Canadiens with the choice of Jesperi Kotkani
The Canadiens had the 3rd overall pick in 2018 and Marc Bergevin, along with Trevor Timmins, decided to select the Finn Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
At first glance, everyone was disappointed to see that Brady Tkachuk was not their selection, but KK's charisma quickly changed many people's minds.
Not only was the center impressive in training camp, he was very cheerful and refreshing and he quickly won the hearts of fans in Montreal.
Personally, I remember wondering if he could get better than Brady Tkachuk and if he was a good selection. I really liked the player I discovered.
One thing led to another and we realized that this selection was aging poorly, while Brady continued to impress in Ottawa. So much so that KK left with a hostile offer and never became the player so many hoped for, neither for the Canadiens, nor for the Hurricanes.
Pierre Dorion was questioned about this selection, he who was the GM of the Senators at the time. According to him, Kotkaniemi should have gone 6-7-8 and he had the potential to become a 2nd center in the NHL a few years after his selection.
The former general manager isn't trying to frame Marc Bergevin in his testimony, but let's say he was certainly surprised to see that Tkachuk was still available.
Today, Jesperi Kotkaniemi has 166 points in 404 games in the NHL, while Brady Tkachuk has 357 points in 447 games. There is no longer any comparison possible between the two players.
This statement clearly highlighted an error by the former CH staff, an error which is recognized by absolutely everyone. We understand Pierre Dorion's words when he says that this is not the worst decision in history, but the fact that Brady Tkachuk was the obvious choice and that he was ignored adds to this bad choice.
| POLL | ||
Are you still bitter about Jesperi Kotkaniemi's selection? | ||
| Yes | 83 | 73.5 % |
| No | 30 | 26.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
