Another regression in Jesperi Kotkaniemi's game
Jesperi Kotkaniemi is not having a great start to the season for the Carolina Hurricanes, while Rod Brind'Amour is still looking for a way to help his young player find his identity, his place.
On Tuesday night, the Carolina Hurricanes faced the Vegas Golden Knights and the Canes won for the 12th time in 14 games. The Knights are slowly coming back from the brink.
That being said, in this 4-2 win for the Canes, Jesperi Kotkaniemi was back to his natural position, the one of center, as he pivoted the 4th unit. We're talking about a player who carries an average salary of $6.1 million and doesn't contribute much with a top line.
"KK" spent 10:31 minutes on the ice, being the 2nd least used player behind Jordan Martinook. Despite having a few less seconds than Martinook, "KK" had the fewest appearances for his team. He also finished his night at minus-2 and with a 29% rate in the face-off circle. OUCH!
Rod Brind'Amour, like Claude Julien and Dominique Ducharme before, is trying to find a comfortable chair for the Finn. Kotkaniemi seems lost, he still hasn't found his identity as a hockey player. Will old Rod find an answer to this enigma?
