Powerful Insights: The Carolina Hurricanes are past the point of redemption with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and have not only been offering him up in trades, but are listening to trade offers for him according to Elliotte Freidman.
While Kotkaniemi is only 25 years old, he came into the NHL a bit early and hasn’t come close to living up to his third overall selection by the Montreal Canadiens. The Hurricanes wasted a first and a third-round pick to offer sheet him and have been stuck with his contract ever since.
Kotkaniemi has only played 25 games this season and has been a healthy scratch multiple times. He failed to make Team Finland for the Olympics and has just two goals and six points while playing just over 11 minutes per game. He is excluded from either special teams and he still has four more full years left on his deal after this season at $4.85 million AAV.
This isn’t an easy contract to trade, but at least he’s young-ish, has the skill, and his cap hit is manageable for many younger or rebuilding teams looking for a change. Kotkaniemi just hasn’t worked in the Hurricanes’ system and on a contender in recent years. His career high is 18 goals and 43 points in 82 games during the 2022-23 season and has 78 goals and 200 points in 501 career games played.
That isn’t horrible, but it is if we take into account he was a third overall pick. At a certain point, that level will just not be reached, and if he wants to stay in the NHL, he has to change his game and find ways to help out and stay in the lineup.
The Hurricanes had reportedly offered Kotkaniemi to the Los Angeles Kings for Phillip Danault before he was traded to the Canadiens, and also as one of the pieces for Quinn Hughes to the Vancouver Canucks. While the Hurricanes have enough cap space to hold onto Kotkaniemi or just buy him out after the season, the belief is that they can find a place to send the forward, even if it costs an average asset to do so.
