Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi to return Thursday against Red Wings

Carolina Hurricanes star forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi put pen to paper on an eight-year extension that's worth $38.56 million and carries an average annual value of $4.82 million back on March 21 but had little time to celebrate that deal, as he went down with a lower-body injury due to a hit delivered by Washington Capitals center Lars Eller back on March 28 and hasn't played since. 

The first-place Hurricanes are getting Kotkaniemi back in the lineup just in time for the push toward the playoffs. 

Per Kurt Dusterberg of the NHL's website, Kotkaniemi will play in Thursday's game against the Detroit Red Wings after he missed eight consecutive contests. 

"It's huge for me to get a couple games under the belt before the playoffs. I just want to get back to the game pace," Kotkaniemi explained ahead of Thursday's encounter. "It took a while to get into the system with one of the best teams in the league. There's a lot to learn for new guys. I finally started to adapt a little bit, so I think it's paying off a little bit."

During his first season with Carolina, Kotkaniemi had recorded 11 goals and 15 assists across 63 games before the injury.

The Hurricanes, meanwhile, have already clinched a postseason berth but only lead the second-place New York Rangers in the Metropolitan Division standings by two points ahead of Thursday's action.