from Ken Cambell of The Hockey News,

It’s OK to get a little excited about how rookies play in these games. So when Jesperi Kotkaniemi sends a teammate in alone with a no-look backhand pass, then follows that up by scoring on one knee on a one-timer, as he did in his pre-season debut against a New Jersey Devils’ split squad Monday night, that’s a good thing. Kotkaniemi played to mixed reviews in the Canadiens rookie tournament and it was important for him to show the people in Montreal what he is capable of doing on a bigger stage. Remember, Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin took a risk in selecting Kotkaniemi third overall and in a market like Montreal, it’s always good to allay those concerns early.

It would not be wise too get too worked up about the performance of minor league players. When I was at the Toronto Star in the late 1990s and early 2000s covering the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Leafs has a prospect by the name of Donald MacLean. Great kid, worked hard, had a wonderful attitude. For three years straight, he came in and lit it up during the pre-season. His performances would inspire headlines such as, “Starry, Starry night for MacLean” and make fans think that maybe this would be the year he would break through and make the team. Alas, MacLean played a total of 41 games for the Los Angeles Kings, the Leafs, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings and Phoenix Coyotes before finishing his career in Europe. By the time his career ended, he had played for a total of 19 professional teams.

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