Hurricanes Are Fed Up With Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Make Major Announcement Mid-Series

We didn't see this one coming, but it's clear that head coach Rod Brind'Amour has seen enough of Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

The Hurricanes are set to announce that Kotkaniemi is being removed from the lineup.

Wow.

That's quite a major change to make in the middle of a third-round series against the Florida Panthers, but they clearly feel it's the right decision for the team.

Kotkaniemi made some questionable decisions in Game 1 against the Panthers. He made mistakes that hurt the team, and the Hurricanes have apparently had enough.

All signs point to Mark Jankowski taking the place of the former third-overall pick of the Montreal Canadiens in the Hurricanes' lineup.

And here's the confirmation from Renaud Lavoie:

Jesperi Kotkaniemi, 24, recorded 33 points in 78 games this season, and has added just 3 points (no goals) in 11 playoff games.

He is earning $4.82 million per year through 2030 and has struggled in the playoffs for the past few years.

Mark Jankowski, 30, recorded 8 points in 19 games with the Hurricanes this season (all goals), and has added one point in three playoff games.

A reminder that Game 2 of this Eastern Conference Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers takes place tonight at 8:00 PM, live from Raleigh.

Matthew Tkachuk's squad leads the best-of-seven series 1-0.