Carolina Hurricanes Have a Clear Choice When it Comes to Kotkaniemi vs. Nadeau – The Hockey Writers – Carolina Hurricanes

We are 60 days from opening night. As the days tick away, fans are still wondering if the Carolina Hurricanes will make any moves before the 2026-27 season begins. However, with most of the team signed through next season, there isn’t much to do other than wait for an Alexander Nikishin extension.

That said, with news that Seth Jarvis will miss four to six months after undergoing shoulder surgery, many are wondering who will replace him. There has been speculation that Bradly Nadeau could get a longer look than the 12 games he got last season. However, with 13 forwards already signed, could the Hurricanes turn to another player instead?

Does it Make Sense to Start Kotkaniemi Over Nadeau?

One internal option is Finnish forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The 26-year-old is entering his fifth season under the eight-year, $38.56 million deal he signed in March 2022. The contract is worth $4.82 million annually, which isn’t terrible considering the cap is going up to $104 million this season. However, given his production over the past few seasons, especially in 2025-26, it’s not ideal.

Kotkaniemi tallied two goals and nine points in 42 games last season and didn’t dress for any of the Hurricanes’ 19 playoff games; however, he did meet the requirements to get his name on the Cup. He deserved it, after playing the last five seasons in Raleigh. On July 27, he brought the Cup to Pori and his Finnish team, Porin Assat.

Kotkaniemi missed time due to injury last season, but he was also often made a healthy scratch, and there have been rumors that he is being shopped or could be a buyout candidate.

With all of that in mind, would it make sense for the Hurricanes to play Kotkaniemi instead of Nadeau while Jarvis is out? In reality, Kotkaniemi knows the system well and has played over 42 games a season for the team since 2021-22. The thing is, what is his role? He was drafted third overall by the Montreal Canadiens in hopes he could be a lethal scorer, but he scored 18 goals in 2022-23 with the Hurricanes, his best scoring season.

While he is 6-foot-3 and 213 pounds, he does not use his size enough. He has shown flashes of being a physical player, but the hope was that he could do it consistently. To give Kotkaniemi some credit, he is great in the faceoff dot. He also has strong possession skills, but he seems to be the odd man out at center, with Mark Jankowski as the permanent fixture at fourth-line center.

General manager Eric Tulsky stated after night one of the 2026 NHL Draft on June 26, “[Nadeau’s] been great in the AHL. He had, sort of, two call-up stints this past year. I thought in the first one, he looked like someone who was acclimating for the first time. In the second one, he looked like someone who was acclimated. You could see the progression. He absolutely will be in the conversation if we need a call-up at the start of the year. I think it would be a good opportunity for him to get some runway.”

There seems to be the sense that Nadeau could fill in for Jarvis until he returns between October and December. That could be in the top six or on the third line with Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook, who the Hurricanes often play with younger players to help them learn the system. If Kotkaniemi gets that role instead, does he move to the third line or the fourth as William Carrier moves up to play with the Jordans? That is the question that everyone is asking.

Does it make sense to play Kotkaniemi over Nadeau? No. While he knows the system, he’s being paid $4.82 million a year and is still trying to figure out his role, while being healthy scratched. He’s been in Carolina since 2021-22 and is loved in the locker room. However, since he didn’t dress during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, it’s hard to see where he fits within the organization.

Nadeau, meanwhile, has shown he can play well in the American Hockey League (AHL) and should get a longer look than the 12 games he got last season. We’ll have to wait until opening night against the Florida Panthers on Sept. 29 to find out what management thinks is best. But in reality, it seems clear who should play.