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Kasperi Kapanen

No Suspension Coming For Kasperi Kapanen After Alcohol-Related Driving Charge

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Taking over some of the NHL news cycle this afternoon, St.Louis Blues forward, Kasperi Kapanen has been charged with an alcohol-related driving charge in his native Finland. In a statement, Kapanen said, “Last month I made an unacceptable error in judgment and take full responsibility for my actions. I offer my apologies to my family, the Blues organization, my teammates, and the fans. I understand the severity of my mistake and am committed to doing everything I can to earn back their trust”. In a following statement, the President of Hockey Operations and General Manager of the Blues, Doug Armstrong, said, “Today we became aware of the incident involving Kasperi and I have spoken with him and his agent. We are disappointed in his lapse of judgment and are entrusting him to make the necessary changes to avoid putting himself in a similar situation in the future” (X Link).

All signs indicate that Kapanen and the Blues organization will handle this matter internally, and no suspension will be coming down from the team or the NHL. Last season, after being picked up on waivers by St.Louis, Kapanen would score eight goals and six assists to cap off the last 23 games in the season.

Blues Claim Kasperi Kapanen Off Waivers From Penguins

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Kasperi Kapanen is on the move as Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports (Twitter link) that the Blues have claimed the winger off waivers from the Penguins.

The 26-year-old is in the midst of a tough season that has seen him record just seven goals and 13 assists in 43 games while being a healthy scratch on multiple occasions.  When he has been in the lineup, Kapanen is averaging just over 12 minutes a night which is a career low.  However, prior to this season, he has been a capable middle-six winger, ranging between 11 and 20 goals over the last four seasons between Pittsburgh and Toronto while he is one of the faster players in the league as well.

With that track record, it’s understandable that St. Louis would want to take a flyer on Kapanen to try to restore some value.  However, it does come with a somewhat notable salary commitment as the winger is in the first season of a two-year contract that carries a $3.2MM cap hit.  As a result of that claim, the Blues will take the entirety of that contract on.  Prior to the claim, they had nearly $71MM of commitments on the books for next season per CapFriendly with this claim pushing that number up to nearly $74MM for 16 players.  That won’t leave them with a lot of wiggle room to add to the back of their roster.

To make room for Kapanen (who won’t play today against his now-former team) on their roster, the Blues announced (Twitter link) that forward Nikita Alexandrov has been sent down to AHL Springfield.  The 22-year-old has five points in 20 games with St. Louis in his first taste of NHL action while he has done well in the minors, picking up 12 goals and 10 helpers in 28 contests with the Thunderbirds.

Meanwhile, it’s a disappointing end to Kapanen’s tenure with Pittsburgh with the team moving a first-round pick to reacquire him from Toronto less than two and a half years ago.  However, the move gives them some much-needed financial flexibility.  Being claimed allowed the Penguins to activate Jan Rutta from LTIR without needing to make any other roster moves while they will now have a bit more space to try to add another piece before the trade deadline.

Kasperi Kapanen, Kevin Gravel Placed On Waivers

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1:00 pm: Kapanen has officially been placed on waivers, along with Nashville Predators defenseman Kevin Gravel, per NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston.

12:28 pm: The Pittsburgh Penguins will place forward Kasperi Kapanen on waivers today, according to head coach Mike Sullivan.

Kapanen, who was re-acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs before the 2020-21 season, has struggled to find his footing with the Penguins after a promising first year. In 43 games this season, the 26-year-old has recorded just seven goals and 13 assists, a steady drop-off from his production at the beginning of his Pittsburgh tenure.

The decision to waive Kapanen is made with the trade deadline in mind. The team is looking to clear some salary cap space to make a move, and burying Kapanen’s $3.2MM cap hit in the minors will take $1.125MM off his cap hit for the time being, the maximum buriable amount.

Kapanen has one year remaining on his contract after this season.

It’s highly doubtful Kapanen would be claimed on waivers, as the combination of his cap hit and term is undesirable for a player demoted to a fourth-line role this season. If he goes unclaimed, Kapanen could use some time with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to regain confidence.

Kapanen last played in the minors with the Toronto Marlies in 2017-18, recording 24 points in 28 games.

The Penguins’ name has been popping up more in trade rumors, as the team has quickly lost their small cushion on a wild card spot. Assigning Kapanen to the minors slightly adds to their $1.225MM projected deadline cap space, per CapFriendly.

Snapshots: Farabee, Kapanen, Barbashev

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Speculation is running rampant with the trade deadline so close, but some interesting tidbits have also started to leak out. Agents and teams alike will reveal things to impact negotiations one way or another. One of those might have to do with Joel Farabee, whose camp has “voiced their displeasure” to the Philadelphia Flyers over how this season has played out, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.

Farabee was one of the latest to feel the wrath of John Tortorella, playing just 3:52 against the Calgary Flames on Monday. The 22-year-old is in the first season of a six-year, $30MM contract extension signed back in September 2021 and has just nine goals and 26 points coming off major offseason surgery.

  • Seravalli also reports that the Pittsburgh Penguins recently informed the rest of the league that Kasperi Kapanen is available for trade, as the club approaches a salary cap crunch. Jan Rutta is almost ready to return from long-term injured reserve, meaning a move must be made in Pittsburgh. Kapanen has been made a healthy scratch at times this season and has scored just seven goals in 42 games.
  • According to Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest, one player that won’t be scratched to protect his value is Ivan Barbashev. The St. Louis Blues have already made several moves to collect assets, and Barbashev remains one of the last big chips they have to dangle at the deadline. Now 27, Barbashev has ten goals and 28 points in 57 games this season, a disappointing sequel to his breakout campaign a year ago. Still, he is an interesting piece at the deadline, given his physicality and versatility given he can play all three forward positions.

Pittsburgh Penguins Make Three Roster Moves

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Official now, Kasperi Kapanen and Josh Archibald have been activated from injured reserve. To make room on the roster, Tristan Jarry has been moved to IR – though that doesn’t necessarily mean his status has changed. Jarry was on the ice this morning, and his placement was retroactive to January 22, so he will be eligible to return as soon as he is healthy.

It’s been a forgettable season for Kapanen, with just six goals through 35 appearances. He’s been scratched, demoted, and overlooked for much of the year, thanks to an inconsistent game that just won’t go away.

A brilliant skater with the size, strength, and puck skills to be an effective top-six winger in the NHL, Kapanen has never been able to match the 20-goal, 44-point campaign he had in 2018-19 with the Toronto Maple Leafs. His production has gone up and down like a see-saw, along with his minutes and opportunity.

Many were surprised when the Penguins decided to sign him to a two-year contract last summer that carries a $3.2MM cap hit, knowing how unreliable he had been to this point. Well, now that he’s healthy, Kapanen will have another chance to prove he’s not just a guy but can be an impact player on a playoff roster.

Archibald, meanwhile, has never had the same kind of expectations. The sixth-round pick scored 12 goals in back-to-back seasons a few years ago but is not considered an offensive threat and is only relied on for energy and penalty killing. He hasn’t been able to provide either since going out of the lineup in December, meaning the Penguins will get a little jolt to the bottom six when he suits up.

With Jarry still not ready to return, Casey DeSmith is expected to start tonight.

Morning Notes: Walsh, Penguins, Pegula

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According to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, the NHLPA is expected to name Marty Walsh as its next executive director. The sitting U.S. Secretary of Labor will be installed after Tuesday’s presidential address, though a formal executive board vote is still required. Seravalli reports it is expected to be a unanimous approval for Walsh, a former Boston mayor who was only included in the search a few weeks ago.

Here are some more notes from around the league:

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins will have Kasperi Kapanen and Josh Archibald available this evening, but Tristan Jarry isn’t quite ready to return. Casey DeSmith will get the start, his 23rd appearance of the season. The 31-year-old netminder has a .901 save percentage on the year and is 7-10-4, proving exactly why the Penguins need Jarry back as soon as possible (and why goaltending is an area of concern as they head toward the trade deadline). Getting Kapanen, who hasn’t played since January 18, back to playing at a high level would also be huge for Pittsburgh; the 26-year-old has just six goals and 17 points through 35 games this season.
  • Regardless of what you think of the Buffalo Sabres ownership, it is hard to read professional tennis player Jessica Pegula’s heartfelt piece in the Players’ Tribune this morning, which revealed that her mother has been battling serious health issues since last summer. Kim Pegula, president and co-owner of the Sabres (and Jessica’s mother), suffered cardiac arrest in June 2022, leading to a long stay in the hospital. She is now on the road to recovery.

Snapshots: Schultz, Bortuzzo, Kapanen

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The Kraken have been without Justin Schultz for the last week and it appears they’ll be missing him a little longer as team reporter Bob Condor mentions that the defenseman is now listed as being out week to week.  Schultz has done well in his first season with Seattle, notching 24 points in 42 games so far, already surpassing his point total from a year ago in 32 fewer contests.  With the All-Star break upcoming, it appears the earliest he’ll be able to return is February 5th.  For the time being, the team is keeping Schultz on the active roster.  If they need to open up a roster spot, they’ll be able to place him on injured reserve retroactively to the date of injury which means he could be activated at any time.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo could return at some point on their current road trip, relays NHL.com’s Lou Korac (Twitter link). The veteran has missed the last two-and-a-half weeks with a lower-body injury sustained against Montreal.  Bortuzzo doesn’t produce much offensively – he has just one point in 30 games this season – but is still a serviceable stay-at-home option on their third pairing.  Louis has an open roster spot at the moment so whenever he is eligible to be activated, they won’t need to make room for him.
  • Penguins winger Kasperi Kapanen returned to practice today in a non-contact jersey, notes Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He has been out for the last week with an undisclosed injury and while the 26-year-old declined to go into specifics, he did call it “something that I didn’t expect to turn into something bigger”.  Kapanen had been scuffling a bit offensively before the injury, notching just a single goal in his last 19 games but he still has 17 points in 35 appearances this season despite logging less than 12 minutes a night.

Kris Letang Activated From Injured Reserve

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have their defensive leader back, activating Kris Letang from injured reserve. The veteran hasn’t played since December as he dealt with an injury and the death of his father.

To make room, the team has moved Jan Rutta to long-term injured reserve and Kasperi Kapanen to regular injured reserve. Both moves are retroactive, meaning they can be activated whenever ready to return.

Letang, 35, has been in and out of the lineup all season, playing just 29 games to this point. Incredibly, his 16 points during those games still lead all Penguins defenders, showing just how important he is to the group. While his average ice time is slightly down, Letang still sees more than 24 minutes a night playing in all situations.

The Penguins are welcoming in Florida this evening, as they try to get things rolling in the right direction. The 23-15-8 record they have so far is only good enough for fifth in the Metropolitan Division, though they do have some games in hand on Washington, who are immediately ahead of them.

Without Letang, the race for the playoffs would be incredibly difficult. Even at his age, he completely changes the look of the Pittsburgh defense corps and allows the others to fit into a more comfortable spot in the lineup. While there may be some rust, his return is a welcome one for Penguins fans.

Kasperi Kapanen Out Week-To-Week

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The nightmare season for Kasperi Kapanen continues. The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that Kapanen will be out on a week-to-week basis with a lower-body injury.

It’s brutal timing for the 26-year-old, as Kapanen had just started to find a consistent level of play. Through healthy scratches, benchings, and demotions, he has 17 points in 35 games so far. While only one of those points had come in his last seven appearances, there were some encouraging signs that he could fit into a bottom-six role for the rest of the season.

Now, with a weeks-long injury, he’s back to square one. The Penguins gave Kapanen a two-year, $6.4MM contract in the offseason when many wondered whether he would even get a qualifying offer. The deal now looks like one of the worst on the team, with Pittsburgh desperate for cap space to make a deadline addition.

An injury of this length could be a worst-case scenario. It might not be long enough to justify long-term injured reserve (and even if it is, they’ll have to keep room open for his activation), but keeps him off the active roster as the deadline approaches.

For other injury updates, the head coach Mike Sullivan called Jeff Petry and Ryan Poehling game-time decisions, while Kris Letang, Josh Archibald, and Jan Rutta are not yet ready to return.

East Notes: Kapanen, Hathaway, Maroon, Okposo

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Kasperi Kapanen’s second stint with the Penguins has been bumpy, to put it lightly.  He impressed in 2020-21 with 30 points in 40 games and it looked like he had finally become a consistent top-six winger.  However, his per-game production slipped last year to the point where there were questions about whether or not he’d be tendered last summer by Pittsburgh.  He ultimately was, inking a two-year, $6.4MM contract but has slid down the depth chart to the point where he has recently been a healthy scratch.

Accordingly, Dave Molinari of Pittsburgh Hockey Now argues that the time has come for the Penguins to part ways with the 26-year-old.  Playing a limited role (or not playing at all) isn’t going to help his trade value so he suggests that waiving him is the next best course of action (assuming there isn’t a viable trade out there).  If he clears, he’d get an opportunity to play a bigger role and perhaps rediscover his scoring touch while giving Pittsburgh a bit of cap flexibility ($1.125MM of his AAV would come off).  At this point, with the alternatives being having him struggle or in the press box, it’s an option that GM Ron Hextall might be considering.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • The Department of Player Safety announced that they’ve fined Capitals winger Garnet Hathaway $4,054 and Lightning winger Patrick Maroon $2,703 for unsportsmanlike conduct. Those amounts, which work out to 50% of their daily pay, are the maximum permitted in the CBA.  The incident occurred during last night’s game during a review of the check to the head from Nicolas Aube-Kubel on Cal Foote; both players received a five-minute major and a ten-minute misconduct on the play.
  • Sabres winger Kyle Okposo will miss tonight’s game against Boston, relays Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. The captain is dealing with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.  While the 34-year-old only has one goal in the early going, he’s tied for third on Buffalo with eight assists through 14 games.  Jack Quinn will return to the lineup in Okposo’s place after being a healthy scratch on Thursday night.

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