![Hurricanes to trade Kotkaniemi to the Flames?](https://cdn.buminteractif.com/2024/07/GettyImages-2149901669-800x450.jpg)
Paying $4.82 million a year until 2030 for a guy who doesn’t deliver the goods on a top-6 when you’re a contending team hurts.
So you’d think the club wouldn’t hate getting out from under that nasty contract… and in a recent piece for The Athletic, Eric Duhatschek talked a bit about the Canes‘ situation, going with this statement:
Personally, I’d try to trade Jesperi Kotkaniemi to the Flames. – Eric Duhatschek
Next round of NHL expansion, Jacob Markstrom vs. Linus Ullmark and more: Duhatschek mailbag
https://t.co/wr1dxPwwLA
– The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) July 12, 2024
If there’s one team that can take that gamble, right now, it’s probably the Flames… but they still have to be willing to do it.
Even if the Flames still believe in the Finn’s potential, the Hurricanes would have to pay Calgary a pretty penny to get the Alberta outfit to release them from this contract. It’s a big financial commitment (six years at nearly $5 million a year) for a guy who, at 24, hasn’t (yet?) proved he deserves it.
It would be a fairly complex trade, but considering that the Canes need to find a way to deal Seth Jarvis, Martin Necas and Jack Drury this summer, and that they have just under $12M under the table, getting rid of Kotkaniemi would be good for the club’s financial flexibility.
In Overtime
– Victor Söderström could change his address.
– TVA Sports (@TVASports) July 14, 2024
– Bogdan Konyushkov, a theater lover.
Habs prospect Bogdan Konyushkov, the 21 year old captain of KHL’s Torpedo, is a really interesting young man. pic.twitter.com/mFbJnxKZlB
– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) July 14, 2024