At the start of the 2021-22 NHL season, the Carolina Hurricanes were welcoming in a lot of new faces. A disappointing loss to the eventual cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning and impending crunches of a flat cap had set the stage for some major roster upheaval.
The Hurricanes decided to lean towards older players and a good amount of veterans were brought in. But the team wasn’t exclusively looking for experienced players, and as such there were roster spots to be had by some younger faces as well.
One such face was the center of biggest offseason storyline, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who was acquired via offer sheet.