Report: The Montreal Canadiens Should Have Drafted Brady Tkachuk Instead Of Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Hindsight is twenty-twenty. NHL executives and scouts make the best possible draft selections based on the best information available. However, it is impossible to see the future, unfortunately. The Edmonton Oilers would never have drafted Nail Yakupov 1st overall if they knew he would be a bust and leave for the KHL. Montreal Canadiens fans are starting to feel this way about their young prospect, Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

Kotkaniemi was selected 3rd overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. He has registered 19 goals and 33 assists for a total of 52 points in 136 games played. He currently has 10 points over 21 games this season. He is certainly not a bad player, but Has fans have expected more from such a high draft pick.

It's difficult to swallow when Tim Stutzle of the Ottawa Senators, who was drafted 3rd overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, is having immediate success. Further, there were many players drafted after Kotkaniemi who have made an immediate impact in the league. Brady Tkachuk of the Ottawa Senators and Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks were both selected after Kotkaniemi. Tkachuk is the likely candidate to serve as the next captain of the Senators and Hughes smashed several rookie defenceman scoring records.

In a recent report, many Canadiens fans believe Brady Tkachuk, who was drafted 4th overall, should have been selected instead of Kotkaniemi. Tkachuk has been featured in the NHL All-Star game and has registered 52 goals and 53 assists in 167 games played. The level of skill between these two players is night and day. If the Canadiens had a redo, there's no doubt Tkachuk would be the team's pick.

I made this article free last night - and it already has the most views on my website of any article posted in the past month. So I am keeping it free. Kotkaniemi or Tkachuk?
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— Grant McCagg (@grantmccagg) March 2, 2021