Jesperi Kotkaniemi is currently the second-row center for the Hurricanes.

It had been more than a year since Jesperi Kotkaniemi accepted a hostile offer from the Hurricanes, an offer that had not been matched by Marc Bergevin and the CH and that had allowed KK to take advantage of a change of scenery in Carolina. The Canadian had turned to Christian Dvorak to try to replace Kotkaniemi (and Phillip Danault) in his formation.

In his first year at Raleigh, the Finn scored 12 goals and 29 points in 66 games and, overall, he didn’t necessarily do poorly. It didn’t take the league by storm, but it wasn’t a disaster.

And after signing a new eight-year deal last winter to stay with Carolina for the long haul, the Ducks I want to give him every opportunity to establish himself as one of the top 6 centers in the NHL. With the departure of Vincent Trocheck (who signed a deal with the Rangers this summer), Kotkaniemi currently finds himself at the center of the Hurricanes’ second row.

That said, even if he’s not on the “front line”, KK is still at the center of two excellent wingers in Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas. Clearly, we want to give you the means to succeed.

Paul Stastny, who was seen as a possible plan B if Kotkaniemi fails to produce in the second unit, is currently on the third-row wing, piloted by Jordan Staal. It can change, but that’s the picture right now.

However, Kotkaniemi isn’t the only ex-CH member to seize a big opportunity within his new team. Artturi Lehkonen, for example, currently sits to the left of Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen in the Avalanche front row.

That could change when Gabriel Landeskog, who will miss the start of the seasonHe won’t be on the sidelines anymore, but the fact of the matter is that it’s pretty impressive to see the former CH in the first trio of defending champions, a spot he didn’t steal.

Tyler Toffoli, also traded before the NHL’s latest trade deadline, also enjoys a front-row audience for his team, while sitting to the right of Jonathan Huberdeau and Elias Lindholm. We can do worse as trio partners, shall we say.

As for Alexander Romanov, he’s in the second pair of defensemen with the Islanders (Adam Pelech is the lefty defenseman in the first pair), but he plays alongside another promising young defenseman in Noah Dobson. The two have known each other for a few weeks and, according to Romanov, already have an off-ice connection.

In short, several former CHs are getting big opportunities as training camps open up in the NHL. Obviously, they’ll have to make sure they prove they deserve to keep this spot, but clearly, it looks like all is going well so far.

I can’t wait to see them in action this year.

A lot of

– Good read on CH day.

– He wants to see a progression of his players this year.

SEE | Fourth part of the generous interview of @mstlouis_26 with @JiCLajoie 🔵⚪️🔴👇 https://t.co/QIQGB3hH4H

— TVA Sports (@TVASports) September 22, 2022

– The deadline for transactions must be March 3.

– New segment episode Insider tradingin which we learn in particular that Barry Trotz intends to return to the NHL next season.

PROCESSING OF PRIVILEGED INFORMATION: #TSNHocky Internal chat…

– Where things are in Horvat
– NHLPA seeks Fehr replacement
– Trotz hints at an eventual NHL comeback
– Medical assistance for coaching players
– Spring calendar for U-18, Men’s/Women’s World Cups

WATCH 🌍: https://t.co/Ve1Zhutgkh pic.twitter.com/efesaFyD4n

—TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) September 22, 2022

– A bit like last year, the CH field seems to be demanding. The difference, however, is that the boys have an extra two months of rest in the body.

– Although he is no longer the captain of the Jets, Blake Wheeler wants to remain leader of the group.

– Slater Koekkoek is leaving Oilers camp for his mental health. [HabsolumentFan]

– Great victory for the Canadians.