“I expect Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s contract to be bought out.”

Félix Forget
“I expect Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s contract to be bought out.”
Credit: Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images

Jesperi Kotkaniemi is officially a Stanley Cup champion. The Finnish player hoisted the Stanley Cup following his Hurricanes' victory in the Finals on Sunday night.

And he took the opportunity to post a photo on his Instagram account… while disabling comments.

The problem is that KK didn't play a single game in the playoffs. The former Canadiens player appeared in 42 regular-season games… but he mostly spent a lot of time as a backup in Carolina.

That said, we know he's under contract for $4.82 million a year through 2030. And considering he no longer seems to be part of the Canes' plans, it stands to reason that his future lies far from Raleigh.

And Frank Seravalli clearly agrees: whether in an article for Hockey 24/7 or on the Kevin Karius Show, the insider seems pretty convinced that Kotkaniemi's contract will be bought out.

He states quite clearly that no one will want such a contract for a player of KK's caliber.

It's worth noting that the summer of 2026 is the last opportunity for the Hurricanes to buy out Kotkaniemi's contract for one-third of its value instead of two-thirds. This is all tied to the player's age: once he turns 25, the buyout ratio increases.

And the Hurricanes, who need to sign Alexander Nikishin (RFA) and Frederik Andersen (UFA), could benefit from a little more flexibility. Even if no one wants Kotkaniemi in a trade, a contract buyout would (truly) not put the Canes in a bind.

If Kotkaniemi's contract is bought out, it will have an impact of about $850,000 on the team's payroll through 2034. That's much easier to swallow than $4.82 million through 2030, let's be honest.

And in a free-agent market where centers are extremely rare, it would be interesting to see what his next contract might look like. Because it could be more appealing than we think.


In a Nutshell

– Calling all baseball fans.

– Nice!

– Interesting.

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