Headlines

  • Claude Julien Fired By Montreal Canadiens
  • Senators Acquire Ryan Dzingel From Hurricanes
  • Pittsburgh Penguins Hire Brian Burke, Ron Hextall
  • Mikko Koivu Announces Retirement
  • Jim Rutherford Resigns As Pittsburgh Penguins GM
  • Winnipeg Jets Acquire Pierre-Luc Dubois For Patrik Laine, Jack Roslovic
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • MLB Trade Rumors
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors

Pro Hockey Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • Atlantic
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Central
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Dallas Stars
      • Minnesota Wild
      • Nashville Predators
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • Metropolitan
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Pacific
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Partners
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

More On The Kasperi Kapanen Trade

August 25, 2020 at 3:59 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 12 Comments

The instant reaction from many fans and media members upon hearing the news this morning that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins had completed a trade revolving around Kasperi Kapanen was not exactly one of shock. The two teams had both made it clear that changes needed to come after qualification-round exits, though this may have been a little sooner than even most people expected. Kapanen was sent to Pittsburgh for a package that included the Penguins first-round pick this season and prospect Filip Hallander, a deal that earned Toronto GM Kyle Dubas plenty of praise online.

Now that the dust has settled a bit, it’s easy to see why this deal can be regarded as a positive for Toronto. The team is basically recouping an asset that had been lost while gaining some cap flexibility and an interesting prospect to boot. According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the Maple Leafs had been working the phones hard to try and get a first-round pick for this year—something they’d given away last summer in order to get Patrick Marleau’s contract off the books. LeBrun reports that Dubas and the Maple Leafs front office had spoken with the New Jersey Devils, Nashville Predators, Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes about Kapanen, trying to get a first-round pick from almost all of them.

The Maple Leafs now sit with the 15th overall pick in a draft that is expected to be deep with NHL talent, especially at the center ice position. That’s a spot where the Toronto pipeline is thin, despite having two bonafide stars in the middle on the NHL roster. Beyond Auston Matthews, John Tavares and Alexander Kerfoot, who currently slots into the third-line center role, there aren’t any obvious choices in the organization that could play top-nine minutes. The team used a mix of Frederik Gauthier, Jason Spezza and Pierre Engvall in the middle during the season but none are exceptional options at this point in their respective careers.

Pittsburgh meanwhile, is going for it once again with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin another year older. In the press release announcing the trade, Penguins GM Jim Rutherford specifically said that Kapanen could improve the team’s top-six, something that he repeated when speaking to Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

We’ll have to see how it goes in camp and what (coach Mike Sullivan) decides. (Bryan) Rust and Kapanen are top-six guys. It will be a matter of what works for everybody. Kapanen could go with Malkin. Or Rust could go with Malkin and the other guy with Sid. We’ll see how it plays out.

Rutherford explained that he “wasn’t going to wait” when he learned that Kapanen was available and thinks the speedy forward can be in Pittsburgh “for a long time.” Of note, Kapanen is under contract for two more seasons but will still be a restricted free agent at the end of 2021-22, able to be re-signed to a longer deal.

As for Hallander, the prospect that has Maple Leafs fans excited? Rutherford admitted that the Penguins liked him but didn’t project he could have the same kind of top-six impact. That’s obviously the key to the deal for Pittsburgh as they look to directly surround Crosby and Malkin with talent and push for another Stanley Cup.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email

Jim Rutherford| Kasperi Kapanen| Kyle Dubas| Pittsburgh Penguins| Toronto Maple Leafs

Coaching Notes: Washington, Ward, Tortorella
Main
Minor Transactions: 08/25/20
12 comments
newest oldest

Comments

  1. forwhomjoshbelltolls

    6 months ago

    When I first saw the deal I was puzzled by the inclusion of Hallander, as I’ve heard the Pens like him and he’s pretty much the only center they’ve drafted in a decade, but this is hardly trading Markus Naslund or anything. I still remember the Pontus Aberg who was Nashville’s best forward (along with someone named Fredric Gaudreau) in the 2017 Final so I don’t know exactly why he’s now just a scrub, but enough teams have given up on him that I trust them. I didn’t know anything about Lindgren (don’t even remember his first name) but he appears to be a warm body. Rodrigues and Warsofsky are most certainly warm bodies.

    So the deal is really Kapanen for #15 and Hallander. Seems like one that works for both teams.

    The Leafs got a nice pick and some cap space so they can sign Alex Pietrangelo (ALL of Dubas moves for the past 18 months have been with this in mind).

    The Pens got a guy who can play the way they need to play to succeed. We get bounced quietly in the early rounds when we play soft and making back hand passes off the cycle. Need players who go north south.

    Even if they don’t add another forward, they have the potential for a very good group depending on their rookies…

    Guentzel Crosby Rust
    Zucker Malkin Kapanen
    Poulin McCann Legare
    Tanev Bluger Hornqvist
    Simon

    Add the Dumoulin-Letang and Pettersson-Marino pairings and you are one third pair away from a very good team.

    The problem is I see only one obvious trade asset left (Murray) to fill two holes.

    Like
    Reply
    • TJECK109

      6 months ago

      Legare and Poulin?

      Like
      Reply
    • jmartin87

      6 months ago

      Poulin maybe. Legare at least a year away

      Like
      Reply
    • forwhomjoshbelltolls

      6 months ago

      Legare was closer to making the team than Poulin last camp. We still have Simon, Lafferty and Aston-Reese, as well. None of this includes Nick Bjugstad, who I pretend does not exist.

      Can they find another John Marino? That would help a lot.

      Like
      Reply
  2. acarneglia

    6 months ago

    It’s a great trade for the Leafs for sure. But I think people are discounting the move for the Penguins. They are in win now mode before the window shuts, might as well go all in.

    1 Like
    Reply
  3. GoLandCrabs

    6 months ago

    Hours later it doesn’t look any better. Kasperi is a nice winger that can put up points and should get around 50 in a full season but the 15th pick in a deep draft for that? No thanks.

    Like
    Reply
    • ews34

      6 months ago

      It seems like GM JR is hoping he was under utilized in Toronto. No one is talking about this but can he be the final piece on the PP? They need a RH shot.

      1 Like
      Reply
    • forwhomjoshbelltolls

      6 months ago

      Excellent observation. A right handed big shot is desperately needed on their PP. Neither Rust or Kapanen provide that. Not many of those guys come available.

      I suggested #15, Rust and taking MAF’s full deal for Tuch and was still laughed off.

      I’d still like to see them make a play for Puljujarvi to fill that role.

      Like
      Reply
  4. bigdaddyt

    6 months ago

    Could be a good trade for both teams but man kap has 0 hockey iq or else he’d be an all star player. Unless Crosby or Malkin get through to him it’s probably a big overpay by pits

    Like
    Reply
  5. hersch

    6 months ago

    Kapanen was extremely underutilized in Toronto. He’s much better than he’s showed so far in his career. This guy can score 40 goals a season in a top 6 role. He has speed to burn and is not afraid of crowds or going to the net. Pittsburgh fans will quickly forget a draft that may or may not ever pan out.

    Like
    Reply
  6. forwhomjoshbelltolls

    6 months ago

    Man, do the Yinzgrates bore me…

    Our dopey bandwagon fans love to criticize our Hall of Fame GM who won two Cups for us’ win now moves by cluelessly worrying about the 2023 roster to pretend that they know stuff.

    And they love to live in a vacuum without specifics…if they think the Pens should have gotten more for #15, so be it…name a name. McKinnon? Pastarnak? I’d like to know.

    Like
    Reply
    • hersch

      6 months ago

      Agreed

      Like
      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.
Log in Register

    Top Stories

    Claude Julien Fired By Montreal Canadiens

    Senators Acquire Ryan Dzingel From Hurricanes

    Pittsburgh Penguins Hire Brian Burke, Ron Hextall

    Mikko Koivu Announces Retirement

    Jim Rutherford Resigns As Pittsburgh Penguins GM

    Winnipeg Jets Acquire Pierre-Luc Dubois For Patrik Laine, Jack Roslovic

    Minnesota Wild Acquire Ian Cole

    Six Dallas Stars Players Test Positive For COVID-19

    Marcus Foligno Signs Three-Year Extension

    Jeremy Colliton Agrees To Extension With Chicago Blackhawks

    Recent

    Five Key Stories: 02/22/21 – 02/28/21

    Injury Updates: Ryan, De La Rose, Stecher, Beecher

    COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/28/21

    Snapshots: Eichel/Krueger, Sutter, Wheeler, Grzelcyk

    Maple Leaf Notes: Galchenyuk, Matthews, Andersen, Campbell

    Colin McDonald Announces Retirement After 13 Pro Seasons

    Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/28/21

    Washington Capitals Recall Ilya Samsonov, Intend To Start Him

    Florida Panthers Put Brett Connolly On Waivers

    Minnesota Wild Place Alex Stalock On Waivers

    Rumors By Team

    Rumors By Team

    • Avalanche Rumors
    • Blackhawks Rumors
    • Blue Jackets Rumors
    • Blues Rumors
    • Bruins Rumors
    • Canadiens Rumors
    • Canucks Rumors
    • Capitals Rumors
    • Coyotes Rumors
    • Devils Rumors
    • Ducks Rumors
    • Flames Rumors
    • Flyers Rumors
    • Golden Knights Rumors
    • Hurricanes Rumors
    • Islanders Rumors
    • Jets Rumors
    • Kings Rumors
    • Lightning Rumors
    • Maple Leafs Rumors
    • Oilers Rumors
    • Panthers Rumors
    • Penguins Rumors
    • Predators Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Red Wings Rumors
    • Sabres Rumors
    • Senators Rumors
    • Sharks Rumors
    • Stars Rumors
    • Wild Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives

    PHR Info

    • About
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

    scroll to top
    Close

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version