Vancouver Canucks have trade interest in Kotkaniemi: report
This probably isn’t the trade that Vancouver Canucks fans are yearning for.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi was infamously drafted ahead of Quinn Hughes in the 2018 NHL Draft.
So far this season, Hughes has more points (38) during his 30 games with the Minnesota Wild than Kotkaniemi has in terms of games played (37).
The 25-year-old Finnish centre has been a frequent healthy scratch with the Carolina Hurricanes. He also has four years left on his contract, paying him $4.85 million per season.
But apparently, that hasn’t prevented the Canucks from having interest.
“I do think the Canucks thought about Kotkaniemi,” Elliotte Friedman said on Sportsnet 650’s Halford and Brough on Friday morning.
The prevailing thought among Canucks fans might be that Kotkaniemi would be involved in a potential Elias Pettersson trade, as the teams try to exchange inefficient contracts.
Friedman shot that down.
“[The Canucks] were talking about a deal for him that didn’t involve Pettersson,” Friedman said.
“And I think that’s why he was in the lineup on Wednesday night, because I think they knew the Canucks wanted to see him.”
Sure enough, Kotkaniemi drew back into the lineup against the Canucks on Wednesday night, after sitting as a healthy scratch in Carolina’s previous three games.
So, did his audition impress the Canucks?
“I heard the answer was lukewarm after the game,” Friedman said. “But I know [the Canucks] were interested.
It was another quiet night for the 6-foot-3 centre, as he finished with no shots and the second-lowest ice time among Hurricanes players.
So far this season, he has two goals and nine points in 37 games.
“I think the player is unhappy there,” Friedman said. “I think Carolina knows it, and I think Carolina would like to move him.”
Kotkaniemi’s name has been in trade rumours on and off since he signed a massive eight-year contract with the Hurricanes four years ago. He peaked in the first year after that deal with 18 goals and 43 points, but his productivity and ice time have dipped ever since.
Even though he’s struggled, the Canucks have shown interest before.
Friedman reported in January that the Canucks discussed acquiring Kotkaniemi as part of the Hughes trade, before he was inevitably dealt to Minnesota.
And for those hoping this is a pure cap dump that could fetch the Canucks an asset, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
“The Hurricanes are contending for a Stanley Cup,” Friedman wrote back in January. “So they want either something that can help them now or something they can use to help them now. Either path is necessary to get something done.”