Yesterday, the Edmonton Oilers claimed Kasperi Kapanen on waivers from the St. Louis Blues. Kapanen only played ten times for the Blues this season scoring once, but has built up enough reputation over his career to be worth a waiver claim. His salary cap is only $1 million so there’s little risk for the Oilers.
While he’s been around the league for ten years, here are a few things you might not have known about the newest Edmonton Oiler…
1. Finland has had up-and-down showings at the World Junior Champions in the past few years. They won bronze in 2021 and gold in 2019 but their biggest achievement came in 2016 when they won on home soil. The Fins’ offence was electric that year with Jesse Puuljarvi, who finished as the tournament’s scoring winner with 17 points, Sebastian Aho, and Patrik Laine. Olli Juolevi made a name for himself too on the blue line with nine points in seven games. While those guys dominated throughout, it was Kapanen who became the hero. The newest Oiler scored the overtime winner to beat Russia 4-3 and give Finland their fourth-ever goal medal. Kapanen only scored twice at that event but it didn’t matter because he scored the most important goal.
2. Kapanen was ranked as the top European skater heading into the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. However, that list didn’t include the German-born and raised Leon Draisaitl, who was playing in North America for the Prince Albert Raiders. With that said, it still included top players like William Nylander, Kevin Fiala, and David Pasternak. Kapanen ended up falling the draft going 22nd overall to the Pittsburgh Penguins, making him the sixth European skater selected. The reason for the drop was due to concerns over consistency and having a high-end skillset but not elite. It’s fair to say NHL scouts nailed the consistency trait as Kapanen now joins his fourth NHL team in less than ten years.
3. His dad, Sami Kapanen, played over 800 games in the NHL with the Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Philadelphia Flyers. Sami Kapanen was the 87th overall pick in the 1995 draft, which was held in Edmonton. The Oilers famously selected Steve Kelly fifth overall that year with local product Shane Doan going one pick after to the Phoenix Coyotes. Sami Kapanen is the 18th highest-scoring Finnish player in NHL history with 189 goals and 458 points in 831 games.
4. After being drafted by the Penguins in 2014, Kapanen didn’t play his first game for them until being reacquired by Pittsburgh in 2020. the initial trade that sent Kapanen to the Toronto Maple Leafs changed the Penguins organization for the next few years. Kapanen was a part of the Phil Kessel trade that helped Pittsburgh win back-to-back Stanley Cups in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. Kessel scored 55 points over those two playoff runs and many argued he should’ve won the Conn Smythe in at least one of those years. The Maple Leafs didn’t receive the same scoring from Kapanen who only had two Stanley Cup playoff goals before they traded him back to Pittsburgh.
