Jesperi Kotkaniemi is not happy with the Carolina Hurricanes.
This isn't a bit of a surprise, as for the first time in his tenure with Carolina, he has been the most frequently scratched player for the team. In a recent interview, he discussed the Hurricanes' issues with coaching, management and their season overall.
Kotkaniemi talks about lack of communication, trust with organization leaders
On Wednesday, Ilta-Sanomat, Finland's largest newspaper, released his interview with Kotkaniemi – an interview in which the 25-year-old centerman lifted the lid on the rift between himself and the Hurricanes organization.
"It hasn't really been explained to me why I'm not allowed to play," he told the outlet. “It's a little difficult.”
He expressed his frustration in the narrative that he is not equal to a second-line centerman when he has rarely performed as one throughout his time in Carolina, citing an oft-forgotten discrepancy between his position on nightly lineup sheets versus ice time and the matchups he was actually given.
However, it seems like the thing that has frustrated him the most is, as you would expect, a lack of meaningful ice time and an absence of trust from the coaching staff.
"Playing time was limited from the beginning of the season. Then came bench assignments. And after a long injury, the coaching staff was in no hurry to get me back into the lineup.
"It's a shame, because I worked hard over the summer."
Between the failed trade and lack of ice time, Kotkaniemi's future with the Hurricanes remains uncertain.
He subsequently faced frequent trade rumors and was repeatedly said to be moved, but this never seemed to happen.
With only eight points this season, and averaging just over 11 minutes of ice time whenever he has been given the chance, this is a stark contrast to last season, in which he had three times the points and average ice time per night was almost three minutes more.
As for Kotkaniemi's career, and his potential return to the Hurricanes if he is ultimately traded, this season has undoubtedly taken its toll on both sides. Before the trade deadline, the team began making calls about a possible move, but those lined up were reportedly unwilling to pay the price set by general manager Eric Tulsky. Since then, except for the occasional game, he has simply been left on the shelf, gathering dust and losing the opportunity to improve his numbers, and in turn, his trade value.
“The future here doesn't look very good, at least not right now.”
Translation via Google Translate, Microsoft Translator
