A surprising NHL trade rumor is gaining steam around Jesperi Kotkaniemi as the Carolina Hurricanes are reportedly listening to offers for the 25‑year‑old center following a middling start to the 2025‑26 season and a notable omission from Finland’s Olympic roster.
On the latest episode of 32 Thoughts, longtime hockey insider Elliotte Friedman pointed out the Finn’s surprising absence from the Finnish Olympic squad as a potential emotional and competitive turning point.
“Kotkaniemi did not make the Finnish Olympic team, and we kind of talked about how surprising it is that he really wasn’t on the radar… anybody would understand that it was a really painful moment for him, very, very disappointing,” Friedman said.
He added that one team that “makes a lot of sense” as a fit if Carolina elects to move him is the Winnipeg Jets citing the team’s need for a reliable centerman who can play a key depth role and the fact that Kotkaniemi has four more years left on his current deal.
“I look at it like he’s got the kind of player that’s got ‘Winnipeg written all over it’… he’s signed for four more years. Like, that’s the kind of player the Jets would look at,” Friedman said on the podcast.
While he stressed he is not claiming a trade is imminent, the fact that the Hurricanes are fielding interest has sparked chatter about Carolina’s long‑term plans.
Kotkaniemi is under a long-term contract with the Hurricanes having signed an eight-year extension on March 21, 2022 worth $38.56 million. The deal carries an average annual cap hit of $4.82 million and runs through the 2029‑30 season.
Hurricanes had reportedly offered Jesperi Kotkaniemi to the LA Kings
The Carolina Hurricanes had reportedly included Jesperi Kotkaniemi in multiple offers for former LA Kings forward Phillip Danault before he was ultimately traded to Montreal for a second-round pick just hours before the NHL’s Christmas trade freeze.
According to insider David Pagnotta, Carolina’s proposals were turned down primarily because of the length of Kotkaniemi’s contract.
“They turned down another offer by Carolina for Phil Danault that included Jesperi Kotkaniemi; I don’t think it was the money that was an issue, it was more term,” Pagnotta reported. [H/T Heavy .com]
The third overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft had joined Carolina via a 2021 offer sheet initially signing a one-year, $6.1 million deal. The Hurricanes later extended him to his current eight-year contract.
This season, Kotkaniemi has recorded two goals and four assists in 25 games with a minus-two rating. He has been a healthy scratch at times and his limited minutes may have contributed to his Olympic omission.
Edited by Anjum Rajonno