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Frank Seravalli says Hurricanes only move Jesperi Kotkaniemi for clear center upgrade
Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Frank Seravalli on Frankly Hockey floated Jesperi Kotkaniemi trade talk, and for the Pittsburgh Penguins it screams center insurance.
Seravalli's framing matters, this is more "theory" than certainty.
He said Carolina had action on Kotkaniemi before the trade freeze.
He also said the Hurricanes only move him if they find a clear upgrade at center.
That's a contender talking like a team that wants to swap a puzzle piece, not dump a contract.
Re Jesperi Kotkaniemi: "The Hurricanes had some action on him prior to the trade freeze; right now the only way they're moving him is if they can find a clear upgrade at center."
- Frank Seravalli
- Frank Seravalli
Kotkaniemi is sitting at 2-7-9 through 36 games in 2025-26.
His usage looks thin, and that's usually where buy-low conversations start.
He's 25, a 2018 first-rounder, third overall, drafted by the Montreal Canadiens.
His cap hit is $4.82 million, and the deal runs through 2029-30.
Carolina's spot in the Metro explains the posture, they're 38-15-6.
Pittsburgh's 31-15-13 and chasing, but the middle has been stressed lately.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi fits the Pittsburgh Penguins timeline gamble
You can feel the fanbase bracing for "one more move" that keeps the window open without breaking the future.
Kotkaniemi's appeal is simple, he can slide into a third-line center role and let everyone else stop playing out of position.
If Sidney Crosby's IR stint drags, Pittsburgh needs reliable minutes down the middle more than another pure winger.
The risk is the term, you're marrying the cap hit for years.
The reward is a controllable center who can still rebound in a new matchup environment.
With the trade deadline on Friday, the market gets weird fast, and this is exactly the type of swing Kyle Dubas should at least price out.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 2|225 ANSWERS Frank Seravalli says Hurricanes only move Jesperi Kotkaniemi for clear center upgrade Should the Pittsburgh Penguins try to trade for Jesperi Kotkaniemi? | ||
| Yes | 61 | 27.1 % |
| No | 164 | 72.9 % |
| List of polls | ||