Jesperi Kotkaniemi is not having a great start to the season for the Carolina Hurricanes, while Rod Brind'Amour is still looking for a way to help his young player find his identity, his place.
That being said, in this 4-2 win for the Canes, Jesperi Kotkaniemi was back to his natural position, the one of center, as he pivoted the 4th unit. We're talking about a player who carries an average salary of $6.1 million and doesn't contribute much with a top line.
"KK" spent 10:31 minutes on the ice, being the 2nd least used player behind Jordan Martinook. Despite having a few less seconds than Martinook, "KK" had the fewest appearances for his team. He also finished his night at minus-2 and with a 29% rate in the face-off circle. OUCH!
Rod Brind'Amour, like Claude Julien and Dominique Ducharme before, is trying to find a comfortable chair for the Finn. Kotkaniemi seems lost, he still hasn't found his identity as a hockey player. Will old Rod find an answer to this enigma?
