Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi out two to three weeks with lower-body injury

The Hurricanes are losing their recently extended young center for a few weeks. Jesperi Kotkaniemi is going to be out of Carolina’s lineup for the next two to three weeks, a source revealed to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. This development comes after head coach Rod Brind’Amour recently told the media that Kotkaniemi would be out “a few weeks,” meaning LeBrun has now confirmed a more definite timeline for the injury. Kotkaniemi’s lower-body injury stems from a hit by the Capitals’ Lars Eller during the Hurricanes’ win over Washington.

Kotkaniemi, 21, arrived in Carolina as the result of a controversial successful offer sheet, one that pried him away from the Montreal Canadiens, the team that drafted him third overall in 2018. Kotkaniemi’s career thus far has been inconsistent, and he has been unable to establish himself as an NHL difference-maker like the players drafted around his 2018 third overall draft slot have, such as Brady Tkachuk, Andrei Svechnikov and Rasmus Dahlin. In 63 games this season Kotkaniemi has 11 goals and 26 points, production that is only a modest improvement over his 2020-21 season where he posted five goals and 20 points in 56 games. But the Hurricanes have made significant investments in Kotkaniemi, clear evidence of their belief in his long-term upside. Given the Hurricanes’ recent run of success in terms of their player development and evaluation, it would be unsurprising to see this most recent gamble of theirs eventually pay off.

In the more immediate term, though, this injury is unfortunate news for the Hurricanes. The team is all but locked into the Eastern Conference’s playoff picture, and is gearing up for what they have to expect will be a long playoff run. Losing Kotkaniemi for this period may impact their ability to figure out their optimal playoff lineup in time for puck drop in Game 1. Thankfully for the Hurricanes, though, they did make a buzzer-beating trade on deadline day to acquire Max Domi from the Blue Jackets. Given Domi’s experience as a center, he should be able to shoulder much of the burden from Kotkaniemi’s absence if necessary.