The Montreal Canadiens finally signed Finnish center Oliver Kapanen. They drafted him 64th overall in the 2021 selection, and he has made excellent growth since then. What does this signing mean for next season, though? Kapanen’s Development in the Last Three Seasons Kapanen has spent the three seasons after his draft playing in Finland’s SM liiga with KalPa Kuopio or its smaller affiliates. In 2023-24, the 20-year-old played 51 games and scored 34 points, ranking fourth on the roster. Undrafted 21-year-old Juuso Maenpaa led the way with 49 points in 59 games, followed by two veterans, Matya Kantner (25, never drafted) and Jaakko Rissanen (33, undrafted).
Kapanen has also gained international experience, competing in the Under-20 World Junior Championship, scoring five points in 12 games and being named Finland’s captain for the 2022-23 competition. This past season, at the 2024 World Championship, the Canadiens’ prospect scored six goals in just eight games, whetting supporters’ appetites for seeing him wear the Sainte-Flanelle one day. It was at those World Championships when Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes met with Kapanen’s agent and agreed to work out a contract after the competition.
The Entry-Level Deal and its Implications
The three-year contract he signed with the Canadiens runs from 2024-25 to 2026-27, regardless of where he plays, because a 20-year-old’s contract cannot be carried over to the following season. Furthermore, if he does not make the Canadiens’ squad, he will return to Europe and make his debut with Timra IK, a Swedish team that competes in the Swedish Hockey League, having signed a deal with them prior to the commencement of the previous World Championship. It’s worth noting that Timra IK’s general manager is Kapanen’s father, Kimmo. Hopefully, this does not turn out to be like the Alexander Galchenyuk saga, in which the young player’s father became overly involved. As previously reported, Galchenyuk would greet his father outside the Canadiens’ locker room following thegame to analyze his performance and obtain advise, which sometimes amounted to “do not listen to your coach, listen to me”. Even worse, the American would check his cell phone in between intervals to see if his father had any suggestions. In any event, Kapanen will report to the Canadiens’ camp on September 18 to be put through his paces among the other rookies. As previously stated, if he fails not make the club this season, he will return to Europe; but, beginning with the 2025-26 season, the Canadiens will be able to assign him to the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League if they deem it acceptable.
What can we expect from Kapanen?
Kapanen’s game still has to be polished, but in his final season with KalPa Kuopio, he was able to center the first line. Tyler Kuehl of Daily Faceoff described the center as follows: There is a lot to enjoy about the Finnish center’s play. He has excellent offensive zone awareness and can finish both close and from a distance. While Kapanen can put the ball in the back of the net, he is also an expert at generating opportunities and finding teammates in dangerous scoring locations. Since being picked by Montreal, the 20-year-old has thrived in Finland’s top league, Liiga, playing for KalPa, the same team his father, Kimmo, played for for numerous seasons. This last season.
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