Kotkaniemi notched an assist and went plus-3 in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Blues.
Kotkaniemi didn't enjoy the offensive success of his linemates -- Martin Necas had two goals and two assists while Eric Robinson added a goal and two helpers. Still, Kotkaniemi has three points over his last four games and may be getting back to a more acceptable level of offense after struggling early in November. The 24-year-old is at two goals, nine assists, 40 shots on net, 14 PIM, 13 hits and a plus-10 rating through 17 outings overall.
Kotkaniemi registered a goal, an assist and six shots on goal in Monday's 5-2 win over the Golden Knights.
Kotkaniemi snapped a three-game pointless streak and a four-game scoring drought with his goal and assist in the first period of Monday's win. Kotkaniemi has only two goals this season, but he's been very good as a playmaker with eight helpers across 14 appearances thus far.
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Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Puts up assist in overtime win
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Kotkaniemi notched an assist in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime win over the Oilers.
Kotkaniemi helped out on Martin Necas' game-tying goal with 6:31 left in the third period. Through five contests, Kotkaniemi has enjoyed a decent start with four assists, six shots on net, a plus-1 rating, four hits and three blocked shots. He's still seeing middle-six usage, though his ability to score at a level commensurate with that role on a regular basis is yet to be seen.
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Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Records two assists Friday
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Kotkaniemi delivered two assists in Friday's 4-1 win over the Penguins.
Kotkaniemi has done a good job as a playmaking threat for the Hurricanes and has notched three assists over his last two appearances. Even though he's yet to find the back of the net, Kotkaniemi is enjoying a solid start to the campaign after posting a mere 27 points in 79 regular-season outings in 2023-24.
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Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Finds twine in win
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Kotkaniemi opened the scoring in Friday's 2-1 overtime exhibition win against Tampa Bay.
Kotkaniemi redirected a shot from Martin Necas at 5:26 of the second frame. Kotkaniemi added three shots, one block and a plus-1 rating in 14:59 of ice time. The Finnish forward is expected to step into a second-line role while receiving time on the power play in 2024-25. The 24-year-old's career high in points is 43, set during the 2022-23 campaign.
Kotkaniemi logged 9:57 of ice time in Friday's 4-2 win over the Capitals after sitting out the previous game as a healthy scratch.
Kotkaniemi's average TOI of 12:47 is a bit misleading, considering he's seen less than 10 minutes of action in seven of his past 11 games. He's also recorded just one assist over that span, which shouldn't be surprising considering he's been seeing mostly fourth-line duty. He shouldn't be on anyone's fantasy roster right now.
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Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Scores goal despite meager TOI
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Kotkaniemi scored a goal on two shots in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Devils.
Kotkaniemi's stock has really fallen in Raleigh since the start of the season. He saw his second-lowest TOI of the season Saturday (8:06) and has averaged just 10:16 over his last 15 games, with only four points to his credit over that span. With the recently acquired Jake Guentzel (lower body) expected to join the lineup at some point, Kotkaniemi might soon be the odd man out for the Hurricanes.
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Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Reaches 10-goal mark
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Kotkaniemi scored a goal on three shots and added two PIM in Monday's 6-3 win over the Blackhawks.
Kotkaniemi snapped a goal drought dating back to Dec. 19 when he scored against the Golden Knights. In the 22 games between tallies, the center managed a measly three assists. He's at 10 goals, 20 points, 104 shots on net, 41 hits, 32 PIM and a minus-9 rating through 55 outings, but the majority of that production came in the first two months of the campaign -- he has not been a strong fantasy option lately.
Kotkaniemi registered an assist and three shots on goal in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Golden Knights.
The helper put an end to Kotkaniemi's 12-game point drought, which saw him rack up just 14 shots on goal with 11 hits and a minus-4 rating. The 23-year-old also flipped spots in the lineup with Jack Drury -- Kotkaniemi has been centering the fourth line lately. After a breakout first month of the campaign, Kotkaniemi has crashed back with just six points over his last 40 outings. He's at 19 points, 101 shots on net, 40 hits, 30 PIM and a minus-10 rating through 54 appearances.
Kotkaniemi extended his point drought to 10 games in Saturday's 1-0 overtime win against the Devils and saw his ice time dip to a season-low 6:52
After recording a career-high 43 points last season, Kotkaniemi has regressed badly this year, with just 18 points in 51 games. He's currently toiling on the Canes' fourth line, but given the sharp decline in his TOI, it may be just a matter of time before Kotkaniemi is watching from the press box.
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Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Adds one apple in big win
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Kotkaniemi managed an assist in Friday's 6-2 win over the Capitals.
Kotkaniemi averaged a point per game to open the season, but he's cooled off considerably since then. The Finn is no longer seeing action on the team's fourth-ranked power play (28.2), and his assist Friday gives him just eight apples and 17 points through 39 contests. There are plenty of wingers that fall below Kotkaniemi in general statistical ranks, but we're still waiting for that full-blown breakout campaign that would justify the Canadiens originally drafting him with third overall pick in 2018. After putting up a career-high 43 points (18 goals, 25 assists) with Carolina in 2022-23, Kotkaniemi has an uphill battle to equal that mark this campaign.
Kotkaniemi extended his current scoring drought to six games in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Canucks.
Kotkaniemi started the season with a solid 13 points in 14 games (6G, 7A), but he's been ice cold since then, with just two goals in his last 13 contests. He's been skating primarily on the third line lately, and his 12:08 of ice time Saturday was Kotkaniemi's third-lowest TOI of the season. If you have other options on your fantasy bench right now, it would be wise to use them.
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Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Point-per-game pace so far
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Kotkaniemi scored a goal and added an assist in a 4-3 overtime win over the Islanders on Saturday.
He tied the game 3-3 with a one-timer, power-play goal at 15:26 of the third frame. Kotkaniemi is taking that big leap forward -- he has five goals and seven assists in 12 games this season.
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Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Game taking another step forward
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Kotkaniemi scored a goal and added an assist in a 3-2 overtime win over the Kraken on Tuesday.
He and Martin Necas are tied for the team lead in points with nine. Kotkaniemi has four goals and five assists in eight games, which is the 23-year-old's best start of his career. He had 43 points, including 18 goals, last year in what was his fourth season. That seemed like a solid breakout, but this year could be Kotkaniemi's best yet.
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Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Picks up two points in loss
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Kotkaniemi scored a goal and added an assist in Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Avalanche.
Kotkaniemi opened the scoring at 16:09 of the first period and set up a third-period tally by Jaccob Slavin. The 23-year-old Kotkaniemi has gotten on the scoresheet in five of six games this season, posting three goals and four helpers. He's added 15 shots on net, eight PIM and a minus-2 rating. With Sebastian Aho (upper body) still out, Kotkaniemi has picked up the slack nicely as he continues to build a case for a breakout season.
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Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Tallies in loss
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Kotkaniemi scored a goal on four shots in Thursday's 7-4 loss to the Kraken.
Kotkaniemi got the Hurricanes within a goal in the third period. It's too early to say if the 23-year-old is ready for a breakout year, but he's certainly laying the groundwork. He has two goals, three assists, 14 shots on net, eight PIM and a minus-3 rating through five contests while centering the second line.
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Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Dishes two helpers
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Kotkaniemi recorded two assists, three shots on goal and two PIM in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Sharks.
Kotkaniemi played a role in the Hurricanes' four-goal third period, setting up tallies from Stefan Noesen and Brett Pesce. With a goal and three helpers through four contests, Kotkaniemi has enjoyed a strong start to the campaign. The 23-year-old forward has added 10 shots on net, eight PIM and a minus-2 rating while serving as Carolina's second-line center, though he could see an increased role if Sebastian Aho (upper body) misses any games beyond Tuesday.
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Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Lights lamp in shootout win
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Kotkaniemi scored a goal on three shots and added four PIM in Saturday's 6-5 shootout win over the Kings.
Kotkaniemi tallied the Hurricanes' third goal in the first period. His second penalty came late in the third, and while the Hurricanes killed it off, the Kings scored shortly after to tie the game at 5-5. Through two games, Kotkaniemi has two points, six PIM, seven shots on net and a minus-1 rating. He's still centering the second line, though he's seen less ice time than third-line center Jordan Staal, who handles the tougher defensive assignments.
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Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Scores twice in victory over Devils
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Kotkaniemi tallied two goals in a 6-1 victory over New Jersey in Game 2 on Friday.
Kotkaniemi supplied a pair of markers in the span of just 2:23 early in the second period to put Carolina up 2-0. He has three goals and four points in eight playoff contests this year, with all of those offensive contributions coming over his last four outings. During the regular season, Kotkaniemi collected 18 goals and 43 points in 82 appearances.
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Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Scores two points in win
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Kotkaniemi scored a goal and an assist on two shots, helping the Hurricanes to a 3-2 overtime win over the Senators on Tuesday.
Kotkaniemi opened the scoring Tuesday, tipping home a shot by Brady Skjei to give the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead. The Finnish forward also added an assist on Brady Skjei's power-play goal. This performance gives him points in back-to-back games with three points in that span. On the season, Kotkaniemi has 15 goals and 37 points in 76 games.
