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The phenomenon has shown up a lot in the NFL recently with quarterbacks.
They don't always work out on their first or even second team. Take Sam Darnold, for instance, who had to bust with the New York Jets, fail with the Carolina Panthers and learn with the San Francisco 49ers before panning out with the Minnesota Vikings and now Seattle Seahawks.
Maybe that lesson can apply to the NHL, too, with Carolina Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniei.
At this point, the 25-year old is a prime trade candidate. Daily Faceoff writer Matt Larkin lists him in his tier one on his trade big board, suggesting he's likely to be dealt before the deadline.
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Kotkaniemi has a cap hit of $4.82 million, and he's under contract through the end of the 2029-30 season.
He was once viewed as a rising star, but he's never really reached his potential.
At least not yet.
"It’s easy to forget Kotkaniemi is still somehow just 25; he was the NHL’s youngest player when the Montreal Canadiens rushed him into duty straight out of the Draft in 2018-19," Larkin writes. "Perhaps that’s why he’s never realized his potential and never really settled in as a scorer or checker. Now truly an afterthought, he’s dressed for just 29 games this season, though some of his absences were due to an ankle injury. He averages a career low 11:13 of ice time per game. He’s a classic 'fresh start' candidate, and, as Elliotte Friedman reported earlier this month, the Canes are fielding offers for him. Maybe he’d thrive with a larger opportunity elsewhere."
Carolina sports fans don't want to think of the idea that Kotkaniemi could turn into the next Darnold to leave town and eventually become a star.
But it's clear Kotkaniemi isn't going to become a standout player for the Hurricanes. It might be in their best interest to see what they can get if they trade him away.
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