There's apparently a way through which the Montreal Canadiens could send Oliver Kapanen to the Laval Rocket, but should day?
Journalist Marco D'Amico told us on rg.org this morning that there is a loophole in the IIHF Transfer Agreement that could eventually allow the Montreal Canadiens to send Oliver Kapanen to Laval.
It turns out that since Kapanen has made the roster to start the season, if he spends 60 consecutive days with the Canadiens (time spent on the injured reserve wouldn't count if he was injured at one stage), Montreal could send him down to Laval without needing Timra IK's approval. Habs' GM Kent Hughes is a lawyer, so there's no doubt he knows the IIHF Transfer Agreement like the back of his hand.
Does that mean he will use the loophole exposed in D'Amico's article? I doubt it for two reasons. If Kapanen signed a contract with Timra IK on top of signing his entry-level contract, it's not because he wanted to be sent to the AHL. Granted, it's not his decision, but Hughes prides himself on being upfront with his players and working with them rather than telling them, "Whatever I say goes."
He has told the media in the past that he doesn't want Montreal to get a reputation for burying its veterans in the AHL once it starts declining. Hughes is building a great culture in Montreal, and he wants players to spread the word about how respectful this organization is. I struggle to see him send Kapanen to Laval like that unless, of course, he speaks to him, and he's fine with it.
Furthermore, it's all well and good to keep him around right now to get a closer look at what he has to offer, but at 21 years old, Kapanen needs to play. Keeping him on standby for 60 days and playing him now and then wouldn't be the best way forward for his development.
Of course, there's always a danger in letting a prospect development out of your control; you don't have to look very far to have a prime example; look at what's going on with Ivan Demidov right now. However, if Olli Jokinen were serious by saying he would get first-line ice time and play on both special units, he would genuinely benefit from that, even if it is on international ice-sized rinks.
We'll see in the coming weeks what Kapanen's future holds, but a decision will eventually have to be made, especially once Patrik Laine returns.
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