Jesperi Kotkaniemi will be looking for another fresh start.
After beginning his career alongside the likes of Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield in Montreal, Kotkaniemi left La Belle Province for the Carolina Hurricanes in restricted free agency after the 2020-21 season. That season saw Kotkaniemi record 20 points in 56 games, though he recorded an additional eight points as the Habs made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.
But even with a 40-plus point finish during the 2022-23 campaign, Kotkaniemi never truly improved on his early-career numbers in Montreal. And after a 2025-26 season where he recorded just nine points in 42 games, the Hurricanes will be looking to trade him during the offseason. Frank Seravalli confirmed the Hurricanes' intentions in a mid-Sunday tweet.
To be clear, Carolina is actively seeking to trade Kotkaniemi now. With rising cap, $4.8 million for a 3C will be the new norm, so he is seen as a player with trade value considering there are so few centers available.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 28, 2026
They’ll wait til that materializes. But no buyout.
Why the move makes sense
From the Hurricanes' point of view, moving on from Kotkaniemi is a very sensible decision. His cap hit is just shy of $5 million dollars, and he's only set to become a free agent after the 2030-31 campaign. For the kind of performance Kotkaniemi has had since joining the Hurricanes, and for a team that is only $11 million below the salary cap and that will likely be shopping for defensive depth and another goaltender, that is a hefty cap hit.
The point about the defensive depth only makes sense with the recent John Carlson trade in mind. Though Carlson could easily opt to sign with another team, the Hurricanes should captialize on their negotiation rights and look to add such a veteran defenseman, one who still has significant offensive upside. That said, Carlson's last contract was worth $8 million annually, meaning that the Hurricanes will need to clear significant cap space if they are to work Carlson and another few additions into their roster for the 2026-27 season.
Why the Oilers should try to acquire Kotkaniemi
Even with the cap hit and the recent struggles in mind, the Oilers would be wise to try and make a move for Kotkaniemi. He's a puck-moving forward who can create scoring chances; that's a profile that would easily thrive in an Oilers offense led by the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Though Kotkaniemi would likely start off as a bottom-six forward, he still brings the upside and the experience required to help Edmonton win a Stanley Cup. And as part of a team that also fields two of the best players on the planet, this would be the perfect opportunity for Kotkaniemi to reinvent his career after the struggles of the past few seasons.
Even better, the cost for Edmonton would be minimal. The only thing Carolina would likely end up asking for is a late-round pick or two in next year's draft.
That said, the Oilers only have $7.5 million in cap space for next season, meaning that any trade will have to come with some form of salary retention. For a move like this, it would make sense for the Oilers to expect the Hurricanes to retain up to 50 percent of Kotkaniemi's AAV for the next four seasons. If not, then the Oilers would likely ask for a higher late-round pick as part of a swap instead of a return featuring two such draft selections; this would act as a sweetener in any potential trade.
But the Oilers should try and be persistent when it comes to asking for salary retention. Though Connor Ungar is a worthy cap-saving option at the goaltending position, especially if the Oilers want to give him a trial run before he hits restricted free agency next summer, the team might very well re-sign Connor Ingram or commit to a veteran option as a backup to Tristan Jarry. That will take a sizeable amount of their not-so-sizeable cap situation, meaning that they will need all the space that they can get.
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