Kotkaniemi: 'I want to show what I have'

BROSSARD - Young gun Jesperi Kotkaniemi will be making his preseason debut on Monday night against the New Jersey Devils at the Bell Centre.

During the morning skate, the 18-year-old Finn centered a line with Nicolas Deslauriers to his left and countryman Artturi Lehkonen on his right side.
Kotkaniemi has been eagerly anticipating the opportunity to put his skills on display against an NHL roster.
"I'm really, really excited. It's nice to finally get things started in a real game," said Kotkaniemi, the third-overall selection in the 2018 NHL Draft. "Your first real game with the men is a big step for me. I want to show what I have."

Head coach Claude Julien has been impressed by the talented prospect's steady progress early in training camp.
The veteran bench boss believes Kotkaniemi has been adapting rather well to his new surroundings.
"He just seems to be out there really enjoying himself. I think the more we move forward in this training camp, the more he seems to be becoming himself," praised Julien. "He seems more comfortable. He seems to have that confidence and the skill. He understands the things that are happening - as far as this being a quicker game on a smaller rink. It's not as passive as he's probably used to. He's adjusting well. We'll get an opportunity to see him more and more as camp evolves and he sees more games."

Starting fresh
Monday night's tilt marks the first of seven preseason games for Julien's contingent before the regular season officially gets underway on October 3rd in Toronto.
Like his players, the 58-year-old Blind River, ON native is ready to get things going after a long summer.
Even with 15 years of coaching experience at the NHL level under his belt and a Stanley Cup title, though, Julien still feels a measure of nervousness before beginning a brand new campaign.
"I also have butterflies," explained Julien. "It's always like that before the first game."

As for his expectations for his troops heading into the matchup against the Devils, the game plan is rather simple.
"It's time for the veterans to show that we want to play the right way," mentioned Julien. "For the young guys, it's a chance to show that they're capable of keeping up with the pace."

Keeping the positive vibes going
Brendan Gallagher is a big fan of the way things have been going at training camp so far.
The group is heading in the right direction, according to the 26-year-old right winger, who is set to begin his seventh NHL season.
"We're all very eager to prove that last year isn't who we are. No one likes going through what we did. We didn't live up to expectations, both from the outside and internal expectations. It's a clean slate, and I think everyone likes an opportunity to prove people wrong. We have a very big opportunity to do that. We have a lot of talented players in here. We have a lot of character in here. Everyone comes to work every day with the attitude to get better," shared Gallagher. "I think when we do those things, it creates a positive atmosphere in the locker room. So far in training camp, that's been there. You look at practices and at the game we had [on Sunday], the intensity level is certainly much higher than it's been in the past and I think when you can ramp that up, it can speed up the process of improving the group."