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What Kasperi Kapanen’s history under Mike Babcock means for the Oilers

Toronto Maple Leafs Mike Babcock Edmonton Oilers

Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

By Sean Panganiban

Jul 13, 2026, 14:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 13, 2026, 13:21 EDT

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Many Edmonton Oilers fans likely breathed a sigh of relief when it was announced on July 1 that forward Kasperi Kapanen had re-signed with the team on a one-year deal worth $2.6 million.

While his regular-season work with the Oilers has been up and down, Kapanen has consistently elevated his game in the playoffs over the last couple of postseasons, establishing himself as a reliable postseason performer alongside Leon Draisaitl and Vasily Podkolzin.

And in 2026-27, Kapanen will reunite with his former Maple Leafs coach, Mike Babcock, joining Zach Hyman and Frederik Andersen as former Toronto players now playing under him in Edmonton. After Kapanen posted a career-high 44 points with the Maple Leafs in 2018-19, it’ll be intriguing to see if Babcock can once again bring out the best in the Finnish forward.

Before looking ahead to next season, let’s look back at Kapanen’s previous time playing under Babcock and the success he had with his former coach.

Kapanen posted a career high in points under Babcock

Kapanen made his NHL debut with Babcock behind the bench during the 2015-16 season, but spent the next couple of years bouncing between the NHL and AHL with the Toronto Marlies. In 2017-18, he played 38 games with the Maple Leafs, recording nine points (seven goals, two assists), but it was the following season where he really started to gain traction as a full-time NHL player.

Heading into the 2018-19 season, with William Nylander holding out due to contract issues, Babcock needed someone to fill the vacancy on the Maple Leafs’ top line, and he turned to Kapanen.

Babcock had a productive talk with the Finnish forward coming out of training camp and laid out his expectations for him at the time. In a 2018 article from The Athletic, Babcock said:

“The bottom line for us, for him to be successful, he’s gotta understand what kind of player he’s going to be in the National Hockey League.” He added, “You’ve been a top-two line player your whole life, and now you’ve got to find a way to survive, and you’ve got to find a way to be important on a team. So, his way is going to be with his speed, with his tenacity, with his heavy play, with (his effectiveness) on the cycle, with finishing checks, with getting to the net.”

That said, Kapanen had a stellar 2018-19 campaign, and he played mostly on the top line, with his most common linemates according to Natural Stat Trick being Patrick Marleau (618:30 minutes) and Auston Matthews (591:19 minutes). He registered 44 points (20 goals, 24 assists) that season, which remains a career-high to this day.

Also, just shifting gears slightly, the way Babcock envisioned Kapanen playing to his strengths nearly eight years ago is the same style of hockey that has made the forward successful over the past two playoffs with the Oilers, using his speed, heavy forecheck, physicality, and willingness to drive the net, with no better example than when he scored the overtime winner in Game 5 against the Vegas Golden Knights in 2025.

Kapanen became a trusted penalty killer under Babcock

While Kapanen had good speed and offensive instincts, Babcock wanted the forward to take on more defensive responsibility. During the 2017-18 season, in Kapanen’s first extended look with the Maple Leafs, the coach gradually introduced the former first-round pick to penalty-killing duties, where he played 41:25 of shorthanded ice time that season and scored one shorthanded goal.

In Kapanen’s breakout 2018-19 season, Babcock leaned on him even more on the PK, explaining that it was part of what the forward needed to do to establish himself in the NHL. He said at the time, “That’s the way you’re going to play in the NHL.” He added, “You’re not playing on the PP, so better find a way to make yourself important.”

That season, Kapanen played the third-most shorthanded minutes among forwards (125:22) on the PK, scoring two shorthanded goals, which was a team high. In 2019-20, he ranked second among forwards in PK minutes (115:19), once again scoring two shorthanded goals for the second consecutive season.

Additionally, Babcock’s trust in Kapanen’s PK abilities extended into the playoffs. On April 25, 2018, the Finnish winger made NHL history against the Boston Bruins, becoming the youngest player ever to score a shorthanded goal in a Game 7, by scoring a breakaway beauty, as seen below.

Over their time together in Toronto, Kapanen not only recorded his only 20-goal season in the NHL, but he also evolved into a trusted defensive option for Babcock, and at one point, Babcock even called him an elite penalty killer.

Final thoughts

Before re-signing with the Oilers on July 1, online chatter made it appear as though the 29-year-old was prepared to test the free-agent market. Perhaps he did test the waters, but he ultimately decided to return to Edmonton.

That said, much like I wrote about Frederik Andersen’s signing, perhaps part of Kapanen’s decision to sign with the Oilers could have been the comfort level not only with the team but also with a coach who trusted him and under whom he had his most productive NHL season. Having that added confidence from reuniting with a coach who understands his game could maybe help unlock another level in his play.

Also, given Kapanen’s history of being trusted by Babcock on the PK unit, I wonder if he takes on a bigger role in shorthanded situations next season, especially considering Connor McDavid’s PK minutes are expected to be reduced.

On another note, an interesting quote I came across while researching Kapanen’s time playing for Babcock was the coach wanting him to play like Zach Hyman, having said at the time:

“We’d like him to decide he wants to play like Hyman; that’s what we’d like him to decide to do,” Babcock said of Kapanen. “Get to the net. Be on the inside all the time. Bring it every single night. If he can do that, he can play a big part (for us).”

Looking back at this quote, it provides another layer into how much Babcock admired Hyman’s game beyond what I previously wrote about in another article. Despite the quote coming nearly eight years ago, I’d imagine those are the same traits he’ll be looking for from Kapanen in Edmonton next season: driving the net and competing hard every single night.

I’d also imagine that message will apply to more than just Kapanen. Vasily Podkolzin already plays with many of those qualities, showing a willingness to compete in the tough areas every game. But another player who I feel Babcock will try to push that message to is Trent Frederic, who has shown flashes of being that type of player throughout his career but hasn’t quite found that consistent type of play in Oil Country.

Ultimately, it’ll be exciting to see Kapanen reunite with Babcock, who had confidence in his abilities early in his career. Whether he can reach another level in Edmonton remains to be seen, but the familiarity and trust between the two could prove to be a real benefit.

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