Time is running out for KK

Upon his arrival with the Carolina Hurricanes, Jesperi Kotkaniemi seemed to have found his groove, regularly making an impact on the scoresheet, but recent team acquisitions have pushed him out of the top-nine. The Finnish center is giving headaches to his coach.

On Tuesday night, the former first-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens was placed on the team's fourth line with Maxime Comtois and Stefan Noesen. It's safe to say that the three players didn't see much ice time.


Cane's number 82 played only 9 minutes and 15 seconds, even when considering his presence in overtime. That's slim for a 60-minute game, so imagine when you factor in that the game ended in the middle of the second overtime period.


Only Stefan Noesen and Maxime Comtois saw less ice time than him on his team. In seven playoff games, KK has yet to make a mark on the scoresheet. With 27 points in 79 games this season, Don Waddell must be regretting his hostile offer towards the Finn.

Due to this decision, primarily seen as retaliation against Marc Bergevin, who made a hostile offer to Sebastian Aho, Don Waddell will have to make choices for the offseason.

The centerman is earning $4.82 million per season until 2030. He could become a nightmare for the Canes for the next 3-4 seasons.