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Jesperi Kotkaniemi of the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Carolina Hurricanes are riding high off their second Stanley Cup victory in franchise history, and their first since back in 2006, but as we know, things in the National Hockey League move quick, with the team now having to quickly pivot to focus on pushing for back-to-back titles in 2027.
Despite that win coming less than two weeks ago, the team have already gone through the 2026 NHL Draft, and now, they’re just days away from free agency, with some big decisions to make about the future. It appears as though General Manager Eric Tulsky isn’t going to be rushed into anything however, and while he needs to make a big call on John Carlson after acquiring his rights, there’s some other decisions that need to be made as well.
Carolina Hurricanes Actively Looking to Trade Jesperi Kotkaniemi
GettyJesperi Kotkaniemi of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Back in 2021, the Carolina Hurricanes acquired Jesperi Kotkaniemi, a former No. 3 overall pick of the Montreal Canadiens in shocking fashion through an offer sheet, one in which the Canadiens refused to match. That led to plenty of social media trash talk between the two teams, but in the end, it appears as though the Canadiens may have been the team that got the last laugh.
In his time with Carolina, Kotkaniemi has been a major disappointment, as he has passed 40 points in a season just once in five years, despite Carolina hoping that he could fill a long-term void as their 2C. For some time now, the expectation has been that the team would buy him out, but now, reporter Frank Seravalli has revealed the team are going to be patient, and instead of buying him out, they will be patient and try trade him instead, believing that a $4.8 million cap hit is one that other teams could take on.
Kotkaniemi has Been a Failed Pickup for the Hurricanes
When the Hurricanes first landed Kotkaniemi, it seemed to be a no-brainer move for a team that needed depth down the middle, especially coming off of a season in which he posted 20 points in 56 games as a very promising 20-year-old. Clearly, the Hurricanes bet on him developing more and more as time went on, but unfortunately that just hasn’t happened, and even after they gave him opportunities, he just failed to take a step forward.
As a result, he appeared in just 42 games this past season (with injuries also playing a part), and when it came to the Stanley Cup Finals, he was a healthy scratch in the teams Stanley Cup Playoffs run, as he was not dressed for a single game. After all of this, it makes perfect sense for the team to part ways with him this off-season, and while many thought that could come in the form of a buyout, with teams out there looking to get to the salary cap floor or potentially bet on the still just 25-year-old turning things around, they’re actively shopping him, meaning he could be traded in the coming days and weeks.
Nathan Smith Nathan Smith is a writer with Heavy Sports covering the NHL and MLB. He brings a decade of experience covering sports in North America for digital platforms such as PFSN, Athlon Sports and FanSided. More about Nathan Smith
