Kotkaniemi will be a surprise scratch for Game 1 of the postseason, as the Canadiens go with Phillip Danault, Nick Suzuki, Eric Staal and Jake Evans down the middle. In addition to Kotkaniemi, Cole Caufield and Alexander Romanov will both scratched as well.
With Brendan Gallagher returning to the lineup, someone has to sit and much, to everyone's surprise, it looks like Kotkaniemi will get a night in the stands. Kotkaniemi remained on the ice with the injured players and other presumed scratches, so look for him to sit in Buffalo.
Kotkaniemi has missed the last eight games with a concussion but will play Saturday in Tampa Bay. Kotkaniemi will replace Joel Armia, who is now week-to-week with an upper-body ailment. Kotkaniemi has scored just three goals and two assists (five points) in 22 games this season.
Kotkaniemi will not play Saturday vs. the Red Wings but will travel to Western Canada with the team next week, suggesting he could play before the Christmas break. The Habs have gone 4-2-0 without Kotkaniemi.
Kotkaniemi has missed the last two games with a concussion and there's no timetable for his return. His move to IR opens up a roster spot to call-up Ryan Poehling from Laval for Wednesday's game vs. the Senators.
Kotkaniemi suffered a concussion in an awkward collision with Nikita Zadorov on Thursday and will not play Thursday vs. the Rangers. With Kotkaniemi out, Charles Hudon is expected to draw back into the Canadiens lineup.
Kotkaniemi has missed the last seven games with a groin issue but will play against the Devils. Kotkaniemi has had a slow start offensively, scoring just two goals with one assist in 12 games.
The Canadiens are expecting Kotkaniemi to play one of their two weekend games, so look for him to play Saturday. Jordan Weal will replace Ryan Poehling, who replaced Kotkaniemi originally.
Kotkaniemi has missed the last six games but will play either Friday in Washington or Saturday vs. New Jersey. The Canadiens don't want the second-year centre to overdue it in his return from injury but it's a good sign that he'll play in at least one of the two games.
Kotkaniemi will miss his sixth consecutive game with a groin injury and the Habs maintain that he is day-to-day. Montreal doesn't play again until Friday/Saturday, so monitor Kotkaniemi's status as they week progresses towards their back-to-back.
Kotkaniemi practiced on Wednesday and took part in Thursday's morning skate but remains sidelined for Thursday's game in Philadelphia. The Haas are hopeful that Kotkaniemi will be able to return to the lineup on Saturday.
Kotkaniemi missed three games with a groin injury but he will accompany the team to Philadelphia, which makes it possible for him to make his return to the lineup. The second-year centre has had a slow start to the year, scoring two goals with one assist in 12 games before getting hurt.
Kotkaniemi has had an excellent rookie season but serve as a healthy scratch for the first time in his career. Kotkaniemi has just one goal and four assists (five points) in his last 11 games.
Kotkaniemi climbed up draft boards throughout the season, racking up 10 goals and 19 assists (29 points) in 57 games as a 17-year-old in Finland’s top league. Kotkaniemi is the top centre in the draft and has drawn comparisons to Aleksander Barkov.
