The Hurricanes are fed up with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and he is officially demoted to their fourth line

Following the NHL All-Star break, things haven't improved for former Montreal Canadien Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

See the new lines from Rod Brind'Amour, unveiled at today's practice.


After another chance on the second line, KK has already been demoted to the fourth line. He is behind Sebastian Aho, Jack Drury, and Jordan Staal.

Check out Kotkaniemi's stats, by game segment. It's quite striking.

First 21 games: 8 goals, 15 points, 15:29 ice time.

Since (27 games): 1 goal, 3 points, 10:43 ice time.

This means that in nearly thirty games, Jesperi Kotkaniemi has only managed 1 goal and 2 assists. Ouch.

He has been relegated to the role of fourth-line center and is surely making his bosses regret the hefty contract they awarded him.

Remember, KK will pocket nearly 5 million per year until 2030.

In your opinion, who is the real Jesperi Kotkaniemi? The one from the first 21 games, the one from the last 27 games, or a mix of both?