Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Scores in Saturday's loss
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Kotkaniemi scored a goal in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Kings.
Kotkaniemi bounced back after seeing his five-game point streak end Thursday in Chicago. The 24-year-old forward opened the scoring Saturday, though the Hurricanes' lead was short-lived, as Phillip Danault tied the game 2:35 later in the first period. Kotkaniemi is up to 11 goals and 26 points through 53 outings this season, one point shy of matching his total from 79 regular-season contests in 2023-24. He's added 81 shots on net, 48 hits, 37 PIM and a plus-7 rating in 2024-25.
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Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Assist, fight in overtime loss
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Kotkaniemi registered an assist and seven PIM in Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Islanders.
Kotkaniemi has four goals and an assist during a four-game point streak. The Hurricanes' trade for Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall on Friday will lead to some tinkering of the forward lines until head coach Rod Brind'Amour finds combinations he likes, so it's possible Kotkaniemi could move around the lineup a bit. He's still centering the second line for now, and he won't have to worry about Jack Drury pushing him for that spot -- he was dealt to Colorado as part of the price paid for Rantanen. Kotkaniemi is at 24 points, 79 shots on net, 47 hits, 37 PIM and a plus-9 rating over 50 contests in 2024-25.
Kotkaniemi scored a goal Thursday in a 7-4 win over the Blue Jackets.
Kotkaniemi has a three-game, four-goal streak on the go after scoring once in the previous 16. He now has 10 goals, 13 assists and 79 shots in 49 games with the Canes. Kotkaniemi is in his seventh season and on pace to perhaps hit 40 points. What you see is what you get, and that means his fantasy value is likely limited to deep formats that count forwards, not centers. Pivot formats are too deep to roll a guy who scores at his pace.
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Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Scores both goals in win
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Kotkaniemi scored two goals on three shots in Tuesday's 2-1 win over the Stars.
Kotkaniemi has scored three times over his last two games. The 24-year-old forward has yet to post a point streak longer than three contests this season -- that lack of consistency makes it tough to believe that he'll be able to sustain his recent success. Overall, he's at nine goals, 22 points, 77 shots on net, 45 hits, 30 PIM and a plus-6 rating through 48 appearances.
Kotkaniemi scored a goal and added two hits in Monday's 4-3 overtime win over the Blackhawks.
This was his first goal and third point over 10 outings in January. Kotkaniemi has bounced between the second and fourth lines this season, but he has not often been reliable enough to be helpful in fantasy. Overall, the 24-year-old has 20 points, 74 shots on net, 44 hits, 30 PIM, 20 blocked shots and a plus-5 rating across 47 appearances.
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Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Gathers helper
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Kotkaniemi notched an assist and two shots on goal in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Sabres.
Kotkaniemi helped out on a Jaccob Slavin tally in the third period. The assist snapped a six-game slump for Kotkaniemi, who continues to be inconsistent on offense while logging middle-six minutes for the Hurricanes. The 24-year-old has six goals, 13 assists, 72 shots on net, 41 hits, 28 PIM and a plus-4 rating across 45 outings this season. His sporadic production makes him tough to roster over long stretches in fantasy.
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Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Tallies in shootout loss
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Kotkaniemi scored a goal and added two hits in Tuesday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Blue Jackets.
Kotkaniemi put the Hurricanes ahead 3-2 in the second period, but their lone lead of the game didn't last. The 24-year-old was limited to three goals and an assist over 13 outings in December, bouncing between the second and fourth lines. He's mainly played on the second line since Jack Drury (hand) exited the lineup following an injury Dec. 10. Kotkaniemi offers limited upside -- he has 17 points, 57 shots on net, 34 hits, 28 PIM and a plus-4 rating over 37 appearances, putting him at risk of missing the 40-point mark for the second year in a row and the third time in four seasons with Carolina.
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Hurricanes' Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Plucks apple in win
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Kotkaniemi notched a power-play assist, six hits and two PIM in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Devils.
Kotkaniemi set up Jackson Blake's go-ahead goal in the third period, which stood as the game-winner. The helper ended a five-game dry spell for Kotkaniemi, who has again let a strong start to a campaign fizzle out before the halfway mark. The 24-year-old is at five goals, 11 assists, 56 shots on net, 32 hits, 28 PIM and a plus-3 rating through 36 appearances. This was Kotkaniemi's first power-play point of the campaign and just his third over the last 115 contests.
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.