Jesperi Kotkaniemi could end up in Calgary

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Dominic Pouliot
July 21, 2024 (9:27)

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Jesperi Kotkaniemi, the former third overall pick of the Montreal Canadiens who left the team in 2021 after accepting an offer sheet from the Carolina Hurricanes, had already been criticized by Montreal fans before leaving the city.

As everyone knows, Brady Tkachuk was still available at the time, and the Canadiens chose to pass on him in favor of Kotkaniemi. One can argue that this selection was a complete failure on the part of the administration led by Marc Bergevin. Kotkaniemi never came close to meeting the expectations placed upon him.

The player, nicknamed KK, finished last season with 27 points, including 12 goals, in 79 games. In his post-season review, he described it as a difficult year:

"Overall, it was horrible. The year was very tough for me... I could have done much better. I'll try to forget about it and focus on next season," he said. He will try to work hard to come back stronger and be ready for next year."

With a contract that is very heavy compared to KK's contributions, it didn't take long for the idea of buying out his contract to emerge. A buyout this year could be beneficial for the Hurricanes since Kotkaniemi is under 25 years old, making him eligible for a two-thirds salary cap hit instead of two-thirds of his full salary.

Despite being in mid-July, it's likely that Kotkaniemi will remain with the Hurricanes. It's unlikely that he will be bought out, and the only way for the organization to get rid of him would be to trade him.

It seems that Jesperi Kotkaniemi may be traded to the Calgary Flames. According to a recent article on The Athletic, Eric Duhatschek suggests that new Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky considers the Flames as a potential destination for the Finnish player.

According to Duhatschek, Kotkaniemi needs a change of scenery and playing significant minutes. He thinks that the Flames need a center and have the financial ability to take on Kotkaniemi's contract.

"...Jack Drury needs to play a more important role, and maybe Jesperi Kotkaniemi needs a new home or an opportunity to play more impactful minutes. Personally, I would try to trade Kotkaniemi to Calgary because they suddenly have the highest payroll ceiling in the league and may need help in the middle." - Eric Duhatschek

The dilemma is whether the Flames are willing to pay $4.82 million per year for KK for the four remaining seasons on his contract. The need to sign Seth Jarvis, Martin Necas, and Jack Drury this summer may encourage Tulsky to accept an agreement at a reduced price for the former Canadiens player. This becomes even more urgent since Tulsky has only $11.68 million available to negotiate with these three players.

KK's contract is likely one of the worst deals concluded in recent years, as it prevents the team from looking to the future and weighs heavily on the organization.