Kotkaniemi scored a goal on two shots and added four PIM in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Blue Jackets.
Kotkaniemi took an early double-minor penalty for high-sticking, but the Hurricanes scored while he was in the box. The 24-year-old then atoned for his penalty with a third-period tally to pad the lead. He's scored three times over his last nine games, though his offense remains inconsistent. Kotkaniemi has five goals, 10 assists, 53 shots on net, 20 hits, 26 PIM and a plus-4 rating over 30 appearances this season.
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Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Nets goal late in loss
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Kotkaniemi scored a goal in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Islanders.
Kotkaniemi tallied in the final minute of the third period, but the Hurricanes were unable to tie the score. This goal snapped a four-game point drought. The 24-year-old has been playing on the fourth line lately after losing his second-line spot to Jack Drury, though both centers see relatively small roles compared to third-liner Jordan Staal. Kotkaniemi is at four goals, 14 points, 49 shots on net, 20 PIM and a plus-6 rating through 27 appearances.
Kotkaniemi scored a goal on three shots in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Rangers.
Kotkaniemi has three points over his last six contests. In that span, he's dropped from the second line to the fourth line, swapping spots with Jack Drury. Kotkaniemi is up to three goals, 10 helpers, 44 shots on net and a plus-8 rating over 22 outings this season. He's had trouble sustaining offense over long stretches, but he can be an effective depth scorer in bursts. He shouldn't be relied on for power-play production.
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Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Generates helper in shootout loss
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Kotkaniemi provided an assist in Saturday's 5-4 shootout loss to the Blue Jackets.
Kotkaniemi set up a Jackson Blake goal in the second period, which came after the former was moved to the fourth line. Kotkaniemi saw a season-low 9:36 of ice time, and it's unclear if his demotion was a one-game thing or something to be watched moving forward. Jack Drury moved up to the second line in the swap. Kotkaniemi has been inconsistent in November with a goal and four assists over 11 appearances, and he's at 12 points, 41 shots on net, 16 PIM and a plus-9 rating through 20 outings overall.
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.
