People close to Montreal Canadiens restricted free agent Jesperi Kotkaniemi predicted that the forward had played his last game for the club following a healthy scratch in the Stanley Cup Final, according to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger.

After sitting out the first game of the Habs' 2021 playoff run, Kotkaniemi had played 19 consecutive contests before being scratched for the final two games of the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.