Carolina Hurricanes News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Carolina Hurricanes (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s Tenure in Hurricanes’ Top-6 Continues…For Now

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Conor Power | Last updated Aug 29, 2025 8:35 AM ET

The Carolina Hurricanes are going into a new season with Jesperi Kotkaniemi remaining as the second-line center. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour essentially confirmed this in a recent interview with 99.9 The Fan’s Adam Gold. After ruling out the idea of Seth Jarvis playing at center, Brind’Amour hinted that maybe there will be a surprise, but it’s not likely. As questions continue to arise regarding this Hurricanes roster, much of the speculation has been put to rest. The Finnish third-overall pick will continue to operate in the top six for Carolina. There will be many people who do not appreciate this, but given how empty the center market was, it felt like an inevitability.

As I’ve said before, Kotkaniemi is not a bad player. However, he is probably in the wrong place on the second line. He screams perfect third-line center. The fact that he will be taking second-line reps this season is not the player’s fault, so the Hurricanes will need to provide him with support. Last season, only Jack Roslovic had more 5v5 points than Kotkaniemi. He tied for second with Jarvis. Kotkaniemi did that while playing a minute per game at 5v5, less than Jarvis. Kotkaniemi also had one 5v5 point more than Sebastian Aho, so make no mistake, he was the team’s top-producing center at 5v5. So, how can the Hurricanes build on that this season?

Stronger Linemates

Last season, Kotkaniemi played most of his ice time with Martin Necas and Eric Robinson. With respect to Robinson, that isn’t a player that should be in the top six of a Cup contender. You can argue the same about Kotkaniemi, but there is no viable alternative for him right now. With young talents like Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake bursting through, and the additions of guys like Taylor Hall and Nikolaj Ehlers since the start of last season, Kotkaniemi’s supporting cast could be more substantial.

As for replacing Necas, that’s harder. The fact that the Czech winger started the season on fire before cooling off before his trade to the Colorado Avalanche elevated Kotkaniemi’s production quite substantially. It means he will need to improve himself, but that isn’t impossible. Lost in the fact that he’s been around since 2018-19 is that Kotkaniemi is still just 25 years old. Could he put it together and recognize the talent that got him selected at third overall? It’s not impossible, but there’s a long way to go for the Finn to work that out.

Ice Time Certainty

For a lot of the beginning of the season, whenever Brind’Amour wanted to inject energy into the top six, Kotkaniemi would be dropped to the fourth line in favor of Jack Drury. Drury isn’t on the roster anymore; instead replaced by Mark Jankowski. Jankowski is much more established than Drury was, but he remains true to his nature. He’s an excellent number four center for a contending roster, but sliding him up the roster is unlikely.

Jordan Staal is the alternative, but Staal will be 37 when the season starts. He has begun to show signs of aging. He’s been a staple of the Hurricanes roster under Brind’Amour, but there is no denying we are watching the sunset in the career of the Thunder Bay, Ontario native. Carolina may try to protect and save him for the playoffs, which would give Kotkaniemi a degree of certainty to start the season. It’ll be really the first time in his career in Carolina that the Hurricanes turn to him and say, “No matter what, success or failure, you’re our guy here,” and that vote of confidence could do so much for a player, especially one as confidence-dependent for success as Kotkaniemi.

What KK Needs to Alter

2025-26 is going to be a big season for Kotkaniemi. There has been a lot of noise regarding him, and the Hurricanes like the player. However, he will eventually need to either break through or move on. That doesn’t mean he needs to be a Rocket Richard candidate; there is a world where he can have 40-50 points and be a viable second-line center, but he’s got to increase what he offers. Whether that be stepping onto the penalty kill, working to improve in the faceoff dot, or even just adding a more physical element to his game, the more facets a player has, the more desirable they become.

Kotkaniemi already offers a strong defensive presence, which was the central selling point when the Hurricanes signed him to an offer sheet all those years ago. The offensive side of his game needs to come out more, but that’s been the case for years. This season is different because of the amount of talent around him. He has had that in the past, but he has more to work with this season, and players that are better fits for his creative passing mind.

The new season is going to be make-or-break for Kotkaniemi. With the cap leaping up, the attractive nature of the contract is going to become more apparent as the summer goes on. The Hurricanes are looking to find the final pieces of a Cup contender. Kotkaniemi can be one of those, but if he is going to ensure he isn’t the cap casualty to make room when the time comes, he must show signs of growth. Any sign of development for the new season could be a reason to be optimistic about the future. Still, if the Canes see the same old struggling offensive production of years prior, the end of the line in Raleigh could be imminent for the Pori native.