The young man from Pori became the tool of the billionaire's childish egotism - and now Jesperi Kotkaniemi's career is in a downward spiral
Jesperi Kotkaniemi's career is in a bad downward direction, writes news manager Juha Hiitelä.
Pori attacker Jesperi Kotkaniemi has become a target through no fault of his own.
Pori attacker Jesperi Kotkaniemi has become a target through no fault of his own. PHOTO: JARED C, TILTON / MAGAZINE PHOTO
Juha Hiitäla
21.5. 16:30 | Updated on 21.5. 21:04
PHOTO: PETE AARRE-AHTIO / IS
For years, the CAROLINA Hurricanes have been the favorite child of the media and social media circles that follow the NHL.
The story has been good. The new owner has invested more money in the team, the club does things differently than others and has acted on social media in a brash, visible and, according to many, entertaining way.
This spring, when the team's season ended in the second round, deeper criticism was heard for the first time.
Why does a team fail in the playoffs every spring? Why isn't Carolina doing anything about its goaltending situation? Why is scoring so difficult for the team?
During the playoffs, the Hurricanes caused an uproar when it was revealed that the club had offered longtime head coach Rod Brind'Amour a contract extension, but withdrew the contract offer.
It was considered unheard of.
But when the season ended, the club announced that the head coach had received a new contract extension, which according to media reports is no less than five years.
The HURRICANES have numerous players whose contracts expire this season. Because of the salary cap, Carolina can't keep everyone, so the team is forced to reform.
But in the big picture, the Hurricanes plan to continue as they have been. The management of the club is strongly based on statistical analysis and they trust that sooner or later the statistics will turn in their favor.
To put it drastically simplified: when you shoot a lot, sooner or later a lot of pucks go in as well.
In the WHOLE sopa and chronic underperformance, one small piece is Pori's son Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Elliotte Friedman, an inside reporter for the Canadian media company Sportsnet, estimated in his podcast over the weekend that due to salary cap problems, the Hurricanes might buy out Kotkaniemi's contract.
If this were to happen, it would be the end of a saga that is strongly associated with the billionaire's injured – perhaps even a little childish – ego.
It all started in the summer of 2019, when the Montreal Canadiens offered a long and lucrative contract to the Hurricanes' number one star, Sebastian Aho.
Aho's contract with Carolina had expired, and Aho signed the Canadiens' offer. But since Aho was a restricted free agent, the Hurricanes were able to keep him by offering Aho the exact same deal.
Montreal's trick is called the offer sheet in English. It's a perfectly legal action, written into the league's collective bargaining agreement, but extremely rare.
Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon was enraged by Montreal's attempt to "rob" Aho and naturally retaliated.
Kotkaniemi unwittingly got into the middle of stupid egotistical pranks.
According to insider sources, he practically ordered Carolina to make an offer sheet to the Canadiens' Kotkaniemi, who was in the same situation two years later.
The Hurricanes offered Kotkaniemi US$6,100,015 on a one-year contract. $20 of the contract was a signing fee.
Coincidentally, Aho's game number is 20.
The CANADIENS thought for seven days and decided not to offer the same. As compensation, it received two reserve shifts from Carolina.
Kotkaniemi thus unintentionally got into the middle of a completely stupid egoistic prank.
The Canadiens did not offer Kotkaniemi a contract, even though he was the club's first-round backup. In the view of the Canadian club, Kotkaniemi was not yet a player worth six million dollars. In addition, the Canadiens should have automatically offered him a raise a year later to keep his rights in Montreal.
It was already rumored that the Hurricanes had negotiated a long extension contract with Kotkaniemi. In March of the following year, the club announced a contract worth eight years and 38 million dollars with the Pori player.
While all the commotion was going on, Kotkaniemi was a young player in his twenties who was just building his NHL career.
He had had expectations of a first-round pick in Montreal, which were even a little unrealistic.
Kotkaniemi charmed the Canadiens club and coaching management at his first training camp in the fall of 2018. Contrary to expectations, the Canadiens did not send him to marinate back in Pori and Ässi.
From that moment on, the Kotkaniemi's three seasons in Montreal were more or less a struggle for survival. The offer sheet commotion just slapped a bigger target on his back.
Kotkaniemi is a good player, a promising puck player, but he is by no means NHL superstar level. The hype around him, first in Montreal and then in Carolina, has affected his development.
This season, Kotkaniemi occasionally played in the Hurricanes' four chain. The balance of the season was 72 regular season matches, 12 goals and 15 assists and 11 matches and one assist in the playoffs.
So definitely not the power of the solution player.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi's career is in danger of drifting into a downward spiral.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi's career is in danger of drifting into a downward spiral. PHOTO: CHRISTIAN PETERSEN / MAGAZINE PHOTO
IN MONTREAL, the club management that did the Aho trick has since received the boot. The reasonableness of making that contract can be considered, but the Canadiens needed a number one center, technically speaking, Aho was available and the contract offered to him was not outrageous considering the level of the Finnish player.
But Carolina didn't need Kotkaniemi. At least not significantly overpriced.
It was just pure owner egoism. Dundon, who made his fortune by trading car financing, has made it clear on several occasions that he considers himself to be a slightly better and smarter owner than others.
The Canadiens' decision directly hit his ego and Dundon decided to get revenge.
The sufferer was Kotkaniemi.
Of course, EVERYONE can say that Kotkaniemi shouldn't have signed a contract with Carolina, but honestly: Who in his early twenties turns down six million dollars? When it comes to a sport where one injury can end a career or ruin a life.
If Carolina buys out the rest of Kotkaniemi's contract, he will still have a comfortable compensation of around 10 million dollars, which will be paid to him in equal amounts over several years.
But in terms of games, his career has taken a back seat for a long time. It's salvageable because it's a young player. But was it really worth all this?
Carolina only has a small burden on the salary cap. But at least the owner got his ego satisfied.
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