Oliver Kapanen is playing in the playoffs at the moment and he got a goal last night. He was very excited as he should be. The pivot continues to have a great season in the SHL and that’s good news for next year’s Canadiens.
I think he will challenge for a roster spot and probably make the team. He was almost a point-per-game player this season with Timra IK. Scoring 15 goals with 20 helpers in 36 games is awfully good. Kapanen now has one goal in one playoff game and who knows how much this playoff experience will help him in the future.
My hope is he comes to North America, ends up on the third line and shows off what he can do. When they selected him 64th overall in 2021, I felt like that was great value and he will turn 22 in July and he may be able to stick. I think the path that he ended up taking was a good one. The SHL is one of the best leagues in the world.