The latest player to hit the rumour mill in the NHL is Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The 25-year-old has struggled over the past few seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes, with the relationship hitting a point where a fresh start for both parties may be best. As expected, his name has been connected to the Vancouver Canucks, as he has been a player the organization has discussed acquiring in the past.
In a recent article on Sportsnet.ca, Elliotte Friedman wrote that Kotkaniemi was one of the players offered to Vancouver in the Hurricanes trade proposal for Quinn Hughes. His name was also tied to the Canucks in regards to center Elias Pettersson, who Carolina has had interest in for the past few years. In the end, neither trade ended up working out for the Hurricanes, as Kotkaniemi remains in the organization.
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Kotkaniemi’s name continually being linked to Vancouver is a sign that Canucks management has at least discussed the idea of bringing in the former third overall pick. If Vancouver hinted that they had no interest in acquiring him, it is hard to imagine that the Finnish center would still be linked to the Canucks. As for the potential interest, Kotkaniemi does make sense based on Vancouver’s needs, as he is a center under the age of 26 who can win faceoffs.
The problem is that the Canucks are not in a position where they should be targeting a player like Kotkaniemi in-season. Vancouver is currently ranked 31st in the league, and unless they go on a historic run, they are projected to finish at the bottom of the standings. The Canucks also can not afford to part with draft picks and prospects as they need those assets to build for the future, rather than stay in the mushy middle of the NHL.
Bringing in a player like Kotkaniemi also carries risk. As mentioned, he has struggled over the past few seasons and currently only has six points in 25 games. Kotkaniemi also carries a cap hit of $4.82 million until 2030, which, based on his production, would cause issues to Vancouver’s cap situation.
Nov 14, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Vancouver Canucks center Max Sasson (63) and Carolina Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi (82) watch the puck during the first period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
For the sake of argument, let’s say this management group really wants to add Kotkaniemi to the roster. If that is the case, there is no need to rush the situation. There is a good chance that he will still be available in the summer, which means the Canucks could negotiate the deal then rather than risk losing draft position now.
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In short, trading for Kotkaniemi in-season is not something Vancouver should consider. The only way an in-season trade makes sense is if the Canucks are given assets to take on his contract, like how in 2019, Carolina acquired Patrick Marleau, a conditional 2020 first-round pick and a 2020 seventh-round pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2020 sixth-round pick. Ultimately, Vancouver should be acquiring picks and prospects as they head towards the 2026 trade deadline rather than using assets to get another first-round drafted player who hasn’t worked out as expected in the NHL.
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