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Jesperi Kotkaniemi

#82 · Centre · Carolina Hurricanes

Born Jul 6, 2000 in Pori, FIN (age 26) · 6'3", 212 lb · Shoots left · Drafted 3rd overall in 2018 by MTL (round 1)

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Stanley Cup NHL Champion 2025-26

Compare with a similar player

The forwards closest to him in points in 2021-22. Pick one to see the two side by side, or choose someone else.

Marcus Johansson WSH · 29 P in 69 GP Derek Grant ANA · 29 P in 71 GP Jake Evans MTL · 29 P in 72 GP Isac Lundeström ANA · 29 P in 80 GP Calle Jarnkrok CGY · 30 P in 66 GP

Career

Regular season games only. Pick a season to see its game log below. Cap hit is what he counted against the salary cap that season, where it is known.

0102030402018-19: 34 points3418-192019-20: 8 points819-202020-21: 20 points2020-212021-22: 29 points2921-222022-23: 43 points4322-232023-24: 27 points2723-242024-25: 33 points3324-252025-26: 9 points925-262026-27: 2 points226-27

Points by season. The darker bar is the season shown below.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Cap hit
2018-19 MTL 79 11 23 34 1 26 134 66 0.43 $925K
2019-20 MTL 36 6 2 8 -11 23 55 51 0.22 $925K
2020-21 MTL 56 5 15 20 -1 12 87 84 0.36 $925K
2021-22 CAR 66 12 17 29 3 37 81 74 0.44 $6.1M
2022-23 CAR 82 18 25 43 10 50 129 105 0.52 $4.82M
2023-24 CAR 79 12 15 27 -4 36 128 56 0.34 $4.82M
2024-25 CAR 78 12 21 33 9 50 115 66 0.42 $4.82M
2025-26 CAR 42 2 7 9 3 8 42 63 0.21 $4.82M
2026-27 CAR 5 0 2 2 0 4 3 3 0.40 $4.82M
9 seasons Career 523 78 127 205 10 246 774 568 0.39

Playoffs

Playoff games only. Pick a season to see that year's bracket.

Season Team GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP
2019-20 MTL 10 4 0 4 4 23 11 36 0.40
2020-21 MTL 19 5 3 8 -5 14 28 35 0.42
2021-22 CAR 14 0 2 2 -4 2 18 13 0.14
2022-23 CAR 15 3 4 7 -5 8 24 18 0.47
2023-24 CAR 11 0 1 1 -2 4 15 12 0.09
2024-25 CAR 14 0 4 4 1 14 19 32 0.29
6 seasons Playoffs 83 12 14 26 -11 65 115 146 0.31

2021-22 season totals

GP G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits P/GP Shooting % Avg TOI
66 12 17 29 3 37 81 74 0.44 14.8 12:01

Contract

$6.1MCap hitends in 2022, then extended to 2030
$210KCap dollars per point29 points in 66 games
$1.958MCap dollars per goal above replacement3.1 goals above replacement
$2.9MWorth at the going ratewhat teams paid for a season like his
-$3.2MValueworth minus cap hit; below zero is overpaid

His cap hit for the whole season, set against what he did in the regular season. Lower is better value. In a season still being played the cost per point starts high and falls as the games add up. Value is coloured by where it ranks among the 716 ranked skaters whose contract is known. How value is worked out.

The contract

Signed by the Carolina Hurricanes on Aug 28, 2021, as an offer sheet, matched: 1 year and $6.1M, beginning in 2021-22. It runs through 2021-22, so this is its last season, and his extension takes over. His next contract is already signed: an extension with the Carolina Hurricanes on Mar 21, 2022, 8 years and $38.56M at $4.82M a season, beginning in 2022-23.

Season Cap hit Base salary Signing bonus Performance bonuses Paid in all Clause
2021-22 $6.1M $6.1M $0 $6.1M

Each season of the contract, with this one marked. The cap hit is the same every year; what he is paid is not. The pay is as written when the contract was recorded in October 2024, so a later change, such as the rise in the lowest salary for 2026-27, is not shown.

Contracts he has signed

Signed Signed by Kind Seasons Years In all Cap hit
Mar 21, 2022 Carolina Hurricanes Extension not begun 2022-23 to 2029-30 8 $38.56M $4.82M
Aug 28, 2021 Carolina Hurricanes Offer sheet, matched 2021-22 to 2021-22 1 $6.1M $6.1M
Jul 1, 2018 Montreal Canadiens Entry-level 2018-19 to 2020-21 3 $10.275M $925K

Every contract on record for him, newest first, with the team that signed him to it and the day it was signed. The one covering 2021-22 is marked. An extension is signed while the contract before it is still running, often a year ahead. A row with no team or date is a contract known only by its cap hit, most often one signed since October 2024.

2021-22 playoff analytics

Regular season Playoffs

Rating

+2.0Goals above replacementsix goals are worth about one win
+0.3Wins above replacementgoals above replacement divided by six
+1.5Goals above averagethe five parts below added up
Even-strength offence-0.3Even-strength defence+1.3Power play-0.5Penalty kill+0.0Penalties+0.9

The goals he added to his team's goal difference, compared with a spare-part player given the same ice time. Each part is measured against the league, so zero is an average skater. A full season is about two-thirds the player and one-third chance. A playoff run is too short to rank anyone on. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

-4-2024682018-192020-212022-232024-252026-27Goals above replacementGoals above replacement, by season

On the ice

What happened at five-on-five while he was on the ice. What these numbers mean

60.2Corsi for %147 attempts for, 97 against
+9.1CF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
69.9Expected goals for %7.0 expected for, 3.0 against
+20.1xGF% relative to teamagainst the team without him
62.2Fenwick for %unblocked attempts
40.0Goals for %2 for, 3 against
96.2PDO2.9% shooting + 93.3% saves
24Attempts takenhis own shot attempts

Each share is coloured by where it ranks among the 159 skaters who played enough to be ranked: green is in the top fifth and red the bottom fifth, with paler shades in between and amber for the middle. Hover over a tile for its percentile. PDO and attempts taken are left plain, since neither is good or bad on its own.

Who he played with

Forward lineGPTimeCF%xGF%Goals
Max Domi · Steven Lorentz · Jesperi Kotkaniemi421:0056.454.70-0
Jordan Martinook · Max Domi · Jesperi Kotkaniemi318:5764.583.21-0
Jordan Martinook · Martin Necas · Jesperi Kotkaniemi318:3261.969.90-0
Derek Stepan · Max Domi · Jesperi Kotkaniemi316:1153.856.30-1

The lines he spent the most time in at five-on-five, with the team's share of the shot attempts and expected goals, and the goals for and against, while they were out. The two shares are coloured as above, against the league's lines that played a fair amount together. Hover over one for its percentile.

Chances and finishing

Expected goals adds up how likely each of his shots was to go in, judged by where it came from, what kind of shot it was and whether it was a rebound. All situations, leaving out shots at an empty net. Before 2023-24 the NHL timed events less exactly, and differently from rink to rink, so expected goals for this season are rougher than for recent ones.

0Goalsnot counting empty-netters
2.4Expected goalsfrom 23 unblocked attempts
-2.4Goals above expectedgoals minus expected goals
Chances created 0.86 expected goals per 60 minutes49th
Shot quality 10.3% chance per attempt88th
Finishing -2.4 goals above expected9thOne season of finishing is mostly luck.

Each bar shows the share of forwards he is ahead of, among the 89 who played at least a quarter as much as the busiest in these playoffs.

00.511.52Expected 2.4Goals 0

His goals and his expected goals as the season went on. When the goals line pulls away above, he is scoring more than his chances were worth; below, less.

Where he shot from

Every attempt he took in these playoffs, in all situations, attacking the net on the right. There is a dot for each attempt, bigger for a better chance. "Show as heat map" shades the ice by where the attempts came from. Click a goal for its details.

Game log

Date Opponent Result G A P +/- PIM Shots Hits TOI
Apr 28, 2022 vs NJD W 6-3 1 2 3 1 0 1 3 16:09
Apr 16, 2022 @ COL L 4-7 0 0 0 -2 0 1 3 10:36
Apr 14, 2022 vs DET L 0-3 0 0 0 -1 0 0 1 15:20
Mar 28, 2022 @ WSH W 6-1 0 1 1 2 0 2 0 13:20
Mar 26, 2022 @ STL W 7-2 0 1 1 1 19 1 0 09:00
Mar 24, 2022 vs DAL L 3-4 (SO) 0 1 1 1 0 0 2 12:23
Mar 22, 2022 vs TBL W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 08:14
Mar 20, 2022 vs NYR L 0-2 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 12:52
Mar 18, 2022 vs WSH L 3-4 (SO) 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 11:36
Mar 17, 2022 @ TOR L 2-3 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 13:12
Mar 13, 2022 @ PIT L 2-4 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 10:14
Mar 12, 2022 vs PHI W 3-1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 09:32
Mar 10, 2022 vs COL W 2-0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 09:47
Mar 6, 2022 vs SEA W 3-2 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 10:36
Mar 4, 2022 vs PIT W 3-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10:27
Mar 3, 2022 @ WSH L 0-4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 14:04
Mar 1, 2022 @ DET L 3-4 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 08:46
Feb 27, 2022 vs EDM W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 06:33
Feb 25, 2022 vs CBJ W 4-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14:54
Feb 21, 2022 @ PHI W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 0 3 11:17
Feb 20, 2022 @ PIT W 4-3 1 0 1 0 0 1 2 09:19
Feb 18, 2022 vs NSH W 5-3 1 0 1 1 0 3 1 17:46
Feb 16, 2022 vs FLA L 2-3 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 09:19
Feb 12, 2022 @ MIN L 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10:53
Jan 30, 2022 vs SJS W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 11:07
Jan 29, 2022 vs NJD W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 09:15
Jan 27, 2022 @ OTT W 3-2 (SO) 0 1 1 0 0 4 0 11:59
Jan 25, 2022 vs VGK W 4-3 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 0 1 12:37
Jan 22, 2022 @ NJD L 4-7 0 1 1 0 0 0 3 12:39
Jan 21, 2022 vs NYR W 6-3 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 13:10
Jan 18, 2022 @ BOS W 7-1 2 0 2 3 0 5 0 14:00
Jan 15, 2022 vs VAN W 4-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 10:48
Jan 13, 2022 vs CBJ L 0-6 0 0 0 -2 0 1 0 13:42
Jan 8, 2022 vs FLA L 3-4 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 13:21
Jan 7, 2022 vs CGY W 6-3 0 1 1 0 2 1 2 13:40
Jan 1, 2022 @ CBJ W 7-4 0 1 1 1 0 5 1 13:39
Dec 30, 2021 vs MTL W 4-0 0 1 1 0 0 3 6 13:11
Dec 18, 2021 vs LAK W 5-1 1 1 2 1 0 1 1 15:38
Dec 16, 2021 vs DET W 5-3 0 2 2 0 0 2 1 16:29
Dec 12, 2021 @ VAN L 1-2 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 17:22
Dec 11, 2021 @ EDM W 3-1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 3 11:30
Dec 9, 2021 @ CGY W 2-1 (OT) 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 07:49
Dec 7, 2021 @ WPG W 4-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 07:25
Dec 4, 2021 vs BUF W 6-2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 14:56
Dec 2, 2021 vs OTT L 2-3 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 09:13
Nov 30, 2021 @ DAL L 1-4 1 0 1 -2 2 2 1 14:17
Nov 28, 2021 vs WSH L 2-4 1 0 1 1 0 3 1 09:22
Nov 26, 2021 @ PHI W 6-3 1 1 2 2 0 1 1 14:45
Nov 24, 2021 @ SEA L 1-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 12:08
Nov 22, 2021 @ SJS L 1-2 (OT) 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 12:11
Nov 20, 2021 @ LAK W 5-4 1 0 1 1 0 1 2 08:36
Nov 18, 2021 @ ANA W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 08:55
Nov 16, 2021 @ VGK W 4-2 0 0 0 -1 0 2 1 10:31
Nov 13, 2021 vs STL W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 09:51
Nov 12, 2021 vs PHI L 1-2 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 13:57
Nov 9, 2021 @ TBL W 2-1 (OT) 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 11:19
Nov 6, 2021 @ FLA L 2-5 0 0 0 -1 2 0 1 12:54
Nov 3, 2021 @ CHI W 4-3 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 12:00
Oct 31, 2021 vs ARI W 2-1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 14:28
Oct 29, 2021 vs CHI W 6-3 1 0 1 1 0 3 3 11:10
Oct 28, 2021 vs BOS W 3-0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 14:34
Oct 25, 2021 vs TOR W 4-1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 12:29
Oct 23, 2021 @ CBJ W 5-1 0 1 1 0 0 2 1 13:32
Oct 21, 2021 @ MTL W 4-1 1 0 1 1 0 3 3 12:58
Oct 16, 2021 @ NSH W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 12:09
Oct 14, 2021 vs NYI W 6-3 0 0 0 -1 0 2 2 11:47