Jesperi Kotkaniemi's future with the Carolina Hurricanes in doubt
Starting off the season with 12 points in 12 games, Jesperi Kotkaniemi seemed to have hit his stride with the Carolina Hurricanes.
However, the former first-round pick of the Habs returned to his old habits and subsequently had a difficult time.
KK wrapped up the season with a total of 27 points including 12 goals, in 79 games. This indicates that he managed to score 15 points across 67 games following his impressive streak. Reflecting on the season in an end of year assessment, Kotkaniemi expressed how challenging it had been for him;
"Overall, it was horrible. The year was very difficult for me. [...] I could have done much better. I'll try to forget it and focus on the next one," he said. "It will be like usual, trying to work hard to come back stronger and be ready for next year." - Jesperi Kotkaniemi
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The scrutiny intensified when evaluating Kotkaniemi's performance under his season of a 8 year contract valued at $38.56 million ($4.82 million annually) leaving room for disappointment, among fans and critics alike. Many people believe that KK's time, with the Carolina Hurricanes may be limited.
In an evaluation the former general manager of the club Don Waddell openly expressed his desire to bring in a handed center. The young forward could potentially be traded if a suitable offer arises. However given his salary, which accounts for 5.5% of the Canes' cap and his performance since signing the contract, finding a trade partner would prove to be quite challenging.
Former NHL player Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre suggested taking action by buying out Kotkaniemi's contract if he were leading the Carolina Hurricanes
If Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre were the General Manager of the Canes, he would take a approach by opting to buy out the players contract.
As previously discussed in another article there are benefits for the Canes from buying out Jesperi Kotkaniemi's contract. Since he is under 25 years old, the buyout cost would only amount to one third of his salary of two thirds.
According to the calculator on the site CapFriendly, if Carolina were to buy out the Finn it would cost them less than $900k on their cap over the 12 years until the end of the 2035-2036 season.
Clearing two thirds of KK's salary would significantly help the Canes' cap situation with 14, out of their 23 players set to become restricted (6) and unrestricted (7) free agents come July 1. Many of them will likely seek a bump in pay...
A change of scenery could be beneficial for both parties involved. Grand-Pierre mentions success stories like Jonathan Drouin and Oliver Ekman Larsson thriving in environments. However this would mark KK's change; can he make it count this time?
Various experts echo sentiments. In an episode of his podcast "32 Thoughts" Elliotte Friedman predicts that KK might face a contract buyout this summer. It appears to be heading in that direction...
EF [Elliotte Friedman] thinks that Carolina will buy out Kotkaniemi.
| POLL | ||
26 MAI | 282 ANSWERS Jesperi Kotkaniemi's future with the Carolina Hurricanes in doubt If you were in charge of the Hurricanes would you consider buying out Jesperi Kotkaniemi's contract? | ||
| Yes | 201 | 71.3 % |
| No | 81 | 28.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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