Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s Criticism and Recent Performance
Since Jesperi Kotkaniemi was signed by the Carolina Hurricanes on a sizable $6.1 million offer sheet following his time with the Montreal Canadiens in the summer of 2021, there has been a notable trend of criticism surrounding the center’s performance.
Eastern Conference Finals Overview
Recently, during the Eastern Conference Finals, Kotkaniemi was given a couple of games off. However, he returned to the lineup for game five, with the Hurricanes holding a 2-0 advantage at the time. Unfortunately for the team, he committed a pivotal holding penalty that shifted the momentum in favor of the Florida Panthers. Just 16 seconds into the ensuing power play, Matthew Tkachuk capitalized and halved the Hurricanes’ lead. Evan Rodrigues followed suit just 30 seconds later to bring the game to a tie. The Panthers soon took the lead with Anton Lundell scoring a few moments later. The Hurricanes managed to equalize late in the match, but the Panthers swiftly reclaimed their advantage and sealed the game with an empty-net goal by Sam Bennett, concluding the match at 5-3 and the series at 4-1.
Future Speculations and Contract Details
There are growing speculations about whether Kotkaniemi has played his final game with the Hurricanes. After his penalty, he saw limited ice time, totaling just 9:31 for the game, and he was the least-used forward for Carolina with only five additional shifts. He still has five years remaining on a lucrative eight-year, $38.56 million contract he signed in March 2022. Despite a manageable cap hit of $4.82 million, the Hurricanes are likely dissatisfied with Kotkaniemi’s output, especially given that his highest points total in a season stands at 43 during the 2022-23 season. Following that, his performance dipped with only 27 and 33 points in subsequent seasons, along with erratic lineup positioning.
As noted by analysts, the serious nature of the penalty he committed was referred to as a fundamental error in judgment, which they believe tipped the game’s momentum. Starting from the 2026-27 season, Kotkaniemi’s contract will feature a modified no-trade clause that allows him to designate ten teams he cannot be traded to. This presents a thought-provoking question for the Hurricanes: can they successfully trade him during the offseason? Given the lengthy tenure remaining on his contract and his declining numbers, it seems unlikely.
Financial Implications and Future Decisions
Should they opt for a buyout, it would incur a cost of $8,413,333, resulting in an annual cap hit of $841,333 over the next ten years. The decision will ultimately rest on the front office as they weigh the implications of a long-term financial burden against the challenges of maintaining a player no longer in the coach’s favor and unable to deliver consistent performance. While drafting Kotkaniemi as the third overall pick in the 2018 draft may have been deemed a misstep for the Canadiens, allowing him to move on after signing with Carolina is arguably not one of those misjudgments.
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