Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch recently announced that forwards Zach Hyman and Viktor Arvidsson will be out of the lineup for the next 5-8 days, confirming that neither will be available for this weekend’s games against the Utah Hockey Club and the Colorado Avalanche.

Both play at right wing, which is an obvious blow for the team, but temporary setbacks often pave the way for new opportunities. With two holes up front on the right side, there’s an opportunity for Oilers newcomer Kasperi Kapanen to step up and show what he can do.

The Finnish forward had a strong outing playing alongside Connor McDavid at 5v5 in the last game against the New York Rangers, and logically, he should get another opportunity this weekend against Utah and Colorado to build on the early signs of chemistry he displayed with the Oilers’ captain, who recorded a three-point night against New York.

That said, the next couple of games present a big opportunity for the new Oiler. When everyone is healthy and Hyman and Arvidsson return, Kapanen’s spot in the lineup remains uncertain. However, if he gets another chance to play McDavid this weekend and is successful, he could force the coaches’ hand to keep him in the lineup, potentially opening the door to even greater opportunities.

The Oilers picked up Kapanen off waivers on Nov. 19, and he has only suited up in two games while donning the orange and blue. In the game against the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 21, he spent most of his time on a line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jeff Skinner. While the speedy winger posted a 4-3 edge in scoring chances during the loss, his biggest contribution came from drawing two penalties—one thanks to his quick feet.

Against the Rangers, he was elevated to the top line alongside Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid. The trio generated an 11-5 shot advantage and produced two goals, including Kapanen earning an assist when he circled the net and passed the puck to Evan Bouchard, who fed McDavid at the side of the net for a goal. That said, I was impressed with how Kapanen performed on the first line—he showcased his speed, consistently made smart, subtle plays to get the puck into his captain’s hands and with a bit more luck, he could have ended the night with three points.

Moreover, developing even a bit of chemistry with a player like McDavid would be huge for both the team and Kapanen, as it would provide more options up and down the lineup—and he’s already shown glimpses of that potential in just one game. Having said that, it’s important to note that not everyone can click with McDavid so quickly, as we’ve seen in the past. However, every now and then, a less proven player—like Patrick Maroon or even Zack Kassian—manages to find that spark, and with the Oilers’ current injuries up front, the door is wide open for Kapanen to be that type of player as well.

I realize the sample size of Kapanen playing with McDavid is extremely small, but another reason I’m optimistic and excited to see more of him with the captain is his prior experience playing alongside elite talent. Kapanen’s most productive NHL season came in 2018-19, when he tallied 44 points (20 goals and 24 assists). Looking back at that season, according to Natural Stat Trick, the player Kapanen spent the second-most minutes with at 5v5 was Auston Matthews, with Patrick Marleau being the first.

While playing with Matthews in 2018-19, they generated 3.86 goals per 60 minutes at 5v5, showcasing Kapanen’s ability to excel alongside elite players. Of course, Matthews and McDavid have different playing styles, but one thing is certain—they’re both elite talents who process the game at a higher level than most, and Kapanen was able to find success playing with one of them.

Additionally, for context, another player who spent significant time with Matthews before coming to Edmonton and found even greater success with McDavid was Hyman. In his final two seasons before joining the Oilers, Hyman played 732:15 minutes alongside Matthews, during which he scored 36 goals in 94 games. He then went on to set career highs while playing with McDavid, and with Kapanen, I’m very curious to see if the Oilers can find lightning in a bottle once again.

Now, I’m not expecting Kapanen to set career highs, but after two somewhat down seasons with the St. Louis Blues, he has an opportunity to reinvent himself in Edmonton. In a best-case scenario, the former first-round draft pick could become an excellent complementary player to the Oilers’ captain—quick on puck retrievals, forcing turnovers, making skilled plays to keep the play alive, and serving a role similar to what Vasily Podkolzin does for Leon Draisaitl, allowing McDavid to play his game. Also, with a 20-goal season already under his belt, Kapanen has the potential to finish off his captain’s passes.

Overall, if you’d asked Kapanen before being drafted to the NHL in 2014 when he was ranked first on NHL Central Scouting’s list of European Skaters, if he’d want to be a puck-retrieving forechecker, he’d probably give you a hard no. Yet, I believe he now has a chance to become that guy alongside the best player in the world, and it’s an opportunity he needs to capitalize on if given the chance. With the 28-year-old recently being put on waivers, this could be his best shot at sticking in the NHL, and with injuries to Hyman and Arvidsson, what better opportunity than potentially playing alongside the fourth-fastest player to reach 1,000 points?

Consistency will be key, and it’s something he’ll need to fully commit to. These next two games present a fantastic opportunity for Kapanen to make an impact. Yet, in the worst-case scenario, if he doesn’t pan out, there’s no harm done—the Oilers picked him up at no cost. That said, what are your predictions for how Kapanen will perform in this upcoming stretch?

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