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Why Jesperi Kotkaniemi Makes an Great Cap Dump Candidate for the San Jose Sharks

By Conor Power

Nov 22, 2021; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (44) and defenseman Radim Simek (51) battle for the puck against Carolina Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi (82) behind the net during the first period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2021; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (44) and defenseman Radim Simek (51) battle for the puck against Carolina Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi (82) behind the net during the first period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports / Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
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Currently, the San Jose Sharks sit below the cap floor ahead of the opening of free agency. After adding Barclay Goodrow on waivers, the amount they need to spend to reach the floor is now a touch more than $5 million. Knowing this team is still in a deep rebuild isn't a surprise. There is no need to spend to the cap if you are not going to be competitive. This means that the Sharks must find someone to meet the minimum spending.

So, how should the Sharks use their cap space? Some may say that spending it on free agents to play in the Bay Area is the best course of action, and there is a case for it. But I want to see the Sharks use the cap space available to them to take on a bad contract and bolster the organization's future assets.

In particular, the Sharks should try to acquire 23-year-old forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi from the Carolina Hurricanes. At $4.82 million against the salary cap for the next six seasons, Kotkaniemi's deal is rich for the 27 points he produced this season. He's coming off a 40-point campaign, which makes his deal a little more stomachable, but it's still on the high side for a contending team. This is where the Sharks come into this equation. For San Jose, that deals fine. Cap increases will make it more stomachable moving forward, and the buyout is cheap for the next three years if he doesn't live up to it.

Why would the Sharks want Kotkaniemi? The media in Montreal gave him a poor reputation after his draft year. He was a reach at the third overall pick in the 2018 NHL entry draft, but he's become a decent player. He's always had a reputation for being an incredible defensive player, but analytically, he took his chance creation to a new level this season. He's experienced playing in a Stanley Cup Final.

He's got all the tools to be a good player, and as the cap continues to jump up, the contract will look better and better with time passing. Refrain from letting his reputation from Montreal get you confused. This player could be very good in the middle six for a long time.

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