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Oliver Kapanen

Canadiens Assign Oliver Kapanen And Cayden Primeau To AHL

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Following their elimination at the hands of the Capitals, the Canadiens have sent a pair of players to the minors to keep their seasons going.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they have assigned center Oliver Kapanen and goaltender Cayden Primeau to AHL Laval.

This will actually be Kapanen’s first taste of AHL action.  He started the season with Montreal before being loaned to SHL Timra for more playing time.  After putting up 35 points in 36 games with them, he was recalled to the NHL in April.  All told, the 21-year-old played in 18 regular season contests with the Canadiens, collecting two assists in a little under 11 minutes of playing time.  Kapanen also picked up a helper in three playoff appearances where he logged just under seven minutes a night of action.

As for Primeau, his stint with Montreal was short-lived after being recalled last weekend following the injury to Sam Montembeault.  He struggled mightily in limited action with the Canadiens this season, posting a 4.70 GAA and a .836 SV% in 11 appearances.  However, he was dominant with Laval, winning 21 of 25 games while putting up a 2.00 GAA and a .926 SV%.  A pending restricted free agent owed a $1.068MM qualifying offer next month, Primeau and prospect Jacob Fowler will serve as the Rocket’s netminders for their postseason run.

Notably, netminder Jakub Dobes was not sent down.  Montreal used one of their four post-deadline recalls as a paper transaction to keep the 23-year-old eligible to play with the Rocket down the stretch.  However, it appears that won’t be the case now.  Dobes could be a candidate to play for Czechia at the Worlds or perhaps the team decided that since he has been a full-time NHL goalie since late December, it wouldn’t be right to send him down now.

Canadiens’ Patrik Laine To Miss Game 3

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The Montreal Canadiens have announced that winger Patrik Laine will be a last-minute scratch for Friday’s Game 3 due to an upper-body injury. Laine appeared to sustain the injury at some point during Game 2. He played in just 10 minutes of the losing effort, over four minutes fewer than he averaged during the regular season.

Laine was noticeably quiet during Game 2. He failed to generate much action after being on the ice for plenty of action in Game 1. Laine generated a team-high five shots on net, and recorded one assist and a minus-two, in the first game of Montreal’s postseason. The score was Laine’s first postseason point since 2019. His years in between took the Finn through campaigns with the snake-bitten Columbus Blue Jackets – but he found stronger standing with the Canadiens this year. Even despite missing 30 games to injury, Laine still managed 20 goals and 33 points in 52 games with Montreal this season.

With Laine out of the lineup, Montreal will turn towards rookie Oliver Kapanen to step into a bottom-six role. Kapanen played in the first 18 games of his NHL career earlier this season. He recorded two assists and a minus-five. The quiet start prompted the Canadiens to loan Kapanen to the SHL’s Timra IK. He made the most of the role with 35 points in 36 games – the second-highest scoring pace on Timra. Kapanen also scored three points in six SHL playoff games. He’ll now fight to carry that footing over to the NHL as Montreal looks to record their first win of the series.

Canadiens Recall Oliver Kapanen

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The Canadiens have recalled forward Oliver Kapanen from his loan to Timrå IK of the Swedish Hockey League, the team announced. He’ll join the NHL roster and could be on hand for tomorrow’s game against the Bruins. Their active roster will stand at 23 players with the move.

Kapanen, 21, has had an unusual season. The 2021 second-round pick had an exceptional training camp and cracked Montreal’s opening night roster – much to the surprise of Timrå, who planned on him being a core piece of their group this year when they signed him to a two-year contract last summer. Kapanen’s run in the NHL ended in early November, though, and since he’s spent fewer than 60 days on the NHL roster and wasn’t a first-round pick, he had to be offered back to Timrå instead of being sent to AHL Laval. Understandably, Timrå took the opportunity to bring him back into the fold.

Timrå dropped their playoff quarterfinal series to Frölunda HC last weekend, so Kapanen’s season overseas is over – making him free to rejoin the Habs. The 6’0″ center appeared in 12 of Montreal’s first 13 games before being returned to Sweden, recording a pair of assists and a minus-four rating. He managed 13 shots on goal and won 46% of his faceoffs while averaging 11:38 per game. He didn’t factor into Montreal’s penalty kill but did receive some power-play deployment, recording one of his helpers with the man advantage. At even strength, Kapanen only controlled 41.7% of shot attempts and 39.0% of expected goals, letting the Habs know there’s room for improvement in his possession game.

In Sweden, the nephew of ex-NHLer Sami Kapanen and the cousin of the Oilers’ Kasperi Kapanen had a monster year as expected. He was a core piece of Timrå’s fourth-ranked offense out of 14 SHL teams, placing fourth on the club with 15-20–35 in 36 games. He added two goals and an assist in their six-game loss to Frölunda.

Kapanen is one of the better forwards in a loaded Canadiens prospect pool, ranking No. 9 in the system per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. A projectable third-line center with a responsible defensive game, he faces internal competition for the role from 2022 second-rounder Owen Beck (No. 7). They have comparable two-way ceilings. However, when all is said and done, the latter will likely have more upward mobility in an NHL lineup. Beck, who’s back in Laval after an NHL call-up earlier this year, has one assist and a minus-three rating through his first 13 NHL games.

It’ll be the former getting the chance to slot into the lineup for Montreal down their most crucial stretch run in four years. Following last night’s huge overtime win over the Panthers, they sit two points ahead of the Blue Jackets for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with a 35-30-9 record, but Columbus has a game in hand. Still, the Habs’ playoff chances are over 50%, per MoneyPuck. While he may not slot in down the middle with Nick Suzuki, Alex Newhook, Christian Dvorak, and Jake Evans set as their center corps, he could get a chance on the wing over fourth-line enforcer Michael Pezzetta.

Canadiens Loan Oliver Kapanen To SHL, Recall Lucas Condotta

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The Canadiens announced a flurry of roster moves Wednesday morning, most notably returning center Oliver Kapanen to Timrå IK of the Swedish Hockey League. They filled his roster spot by recalling center Lucas Condotta from AHL Laval, as initially reported by Marc Antoine Godin of Radio-Canada. He’ll join the team for their four-game road swing starting in New Jersey tomorrow.

Kapanen, 21, had cracked the Habs’ opening night roster somewhat unexpectedly. The Finnish pivot had earned praise early in September after a strong showing for Timrå in the SHL’s exhibition schedule before reporting to Montreal for NHL training camp. The 2021 second-round pick was a healthy scratch for the season opener but has played in every game since, recording two assists and a -4 rating in 12 appearances. He averaged 11:38 per game and recorded 13 shots on goal while going 23-for-50 on faceoffs (46.0%).

Possession-wise, things didn’t grade out spectacularly for Kapanen. Even accounting for Montreal’s league-worst 43.3 CF% at even strength, Kapanen’s shot-attempt share lagged behind the team average in relatively even two-way deployment. It’s far from unsurprising for a rookie center, though, and he did flash legitimate upside with his strong skating ability.

Since Kapanen wasn’t a first-round pick, he couldn’t have been assigned to Laval without first being offered back to his Swedish club, thanks to the NHL’s transfer agreement with the country. It’s no surprise Timrå wants him back in the fold. He already established himself as an impact player in a top European league last year with Finland’s KalPa, whom he led in postseason scoring with 14 points (7 G, 7 A) in 13 games. He also polished off his season nicely with six goals in eight games for the Finns at the 2024 World Championship.

It’s the second recall of the young season for the 27-year-old Condotta. The first lasted just two days in late October, serving as an extra forward for an Oct. 27 matchup against the Flyers. He watched from the press box and was returned to Laval the following day. The 6’1″, 223-lb pivot has four NHL games under his belt, all coming in a Montreal sweater over the past two seasons. He scored once, coming in his NHL debut back in 2022-23, and has averaged a paltry 8:23 per game.

Given Kapanen had been centering the Habs’ fourth line for much of his time in the lineup, it’s fair to assume Condotta may get a crack in the same role and earn a more extended audition than he has in the past. The stocky Ontario-born pivot was named Laval’s captain prior to the start of the season and has responded with four assists through his first nine games. He’s never been a major offensive factor at the AHL level, only recording a career-high 16 goals and 31 points in 72 games two years ago. But he’s carried intrigue for the Habs as a potential bottom-six checking piece ever since he signed, and he’ll now get a chance to help stop the bleeding and help Montreal limit chances against.

East Notes: Kapanen, Grimaldi, Thompson

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After a strong training camp, Canadiens center prospect Oliver Kapanen was a surprise inclusion on the opening night roster. The 21-year-old pivot sat in the press box for their season opener against the Maple Leafs but made his NHL debut in last night’s loss to the Bruins, recording an assist and a shot on goal in 10:22 of ice time.

The 2021 second-round pick is demonstrating he has a decently high offensive ceiling. After all, he did show up in a big way for Liiga’s KalPa last year, posting 34 points (14 G, 20 A) in 51 games. That’s strong production for a youngster in a European pro league, and tacking on his six goals in eight games for the Finns at the 2024 World Championship, it’s clear he’s knocking on the door of full-time NHL minutes.

But there isn’t an extremely clear path to them yet, with Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, Jake Evans, and Christian Dvorak down the middle. It’s foreseeable that Kapanen won’t spend the whole year on the NHL roster. While they would typically be required to first offer him back to his European team (now Timrå IK of the Swedish Hockey League) due to transfer regulations for some international non-first-round picks, that may not be the case. He could spend the rest of the season on assignment to AHL Laval if he spends at least 60 days on Montreal’s roster to open the campaign, as Marco D’Amico of Responsible Gambler pointed out. That’s a decently likely scenario with Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Patrik Laine facing long-term injuries. Kapanen would likely play out the rest of the year in the minors once one is ready to return.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • The Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, have landed minor-league scoring star Rocco Grimaldi on a 25-game tryout, per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. He’ll suit up with the Monsters to start the year while he continues his quest to land a two-way NHL contract. The undersized 31-year-old last saw NHL minutes with the Predators in the 2021-22 campaign, but he’s been an adequate depth offensive presence when given the chance, with 30 goals and 37 assists in 203 career NHL appearances. The former second-round pick of the Panthers has posted over a point per game in three straight AHL campaigns, including 73 in 72 games last year with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.
  • Capitals netminder Logan Thompson has returned to the team today after missing a few days while on personal leave, reports Sammi Silber of The Hockey News. The Caps don’t open their season until tomorrow, so it’s unclear if their offseason trade pickup from Vegas will get the opening-night start over resident No. 1 Charlie Lindgren. Thompson made a career-high 42 starts for the Golden Knights last year, posting a 25-14-5 record with a .908 SV%, 2.70 GAA, one shutout, and 6.5 GSAA.

East Notes: Kapanen, Kolosov, Mercer

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Canadiens center prospect Oliver Kapanen signed a two-year deal with Swedish Hockey League club Timrå IK back in May. He’s already made quite an impression on his new head coach, longtime NHLer Olli Jokinen, who showered the 21-year-old with praise in a recent interview with Marco D’Amico of Responsible Gambling.

In fact, Jokinen’s been so pleased with Kapanen’s play during the SHL preseason that he’s concerned about him spending more time than expected in Montreal next month when he heads to North America for training camp. “He’s been too good for our league so far this preseason, playing like a dominant force in every single game,” Jokinen said. “He’s been great offensively, scoring some goals, but also defensively and in the faceoff circle, which will be his biggest advantage going into Montreal.”

Kapanen may have inked a multi-year commitment with Timrå, but he also signed his entry-level contract with the Canadiens shortly thereafter. While technically eligible for assignment to the AHL’s Laval Rocket, there’s a European Assignment Clause in his ELC that will allow him to return to Timrå if cut from Montreal’s NHL roster, Jokinen said.

It would be a surprise to see Kapanen unseat another Canadiens youngster like Joshua Roy to win a roster spot, but the Finnish national is certainly trending in the right direction after recording 34 points in 51 games last season with Liiga’s KalPa. If he does play this season in Timrå, he’ll likely be their leader in ice time among forwards as “a first-line center with power play and penalty kill time,” said Jokinen.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • The Flyers are now operating under the assumption that goaltending prospect Alexei Kolosov won’t be reporting to training camp, Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff reports. He also adds that general manager Daniel Brière remains unwilling to loan the 22-year-old back to Dinamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League, where he’s played for most of the past four seasons. Kolosov, a third-round pick of the Flyers in 2021, has two years left on his entry-level contract with Philadelphia. He’s been in dispute with the club about where to play this season since at least May, when reports emerged he had trouble adjusting to the North American environment after ending the 2023-24 campaign with a pair of appearances for Philly’s AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
  • Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said on Friday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast that he’s confident the Devils’ pending agreement with RFA forward Dawson Mercer will be a short-term one. With just under $5MM in projected cap space (PuckPedia), he doesn’t think the Devils would be able to fit a long-term deal with Mercer under the cap this season without a significant preseason corresponding transaction. Mercer remains unsigned with less than two weeks to go until training camp, but general manager Tom Fitzgerald said last month that a resolution wasn’t too far off.

Montreal Canadiens Sign Oliver Kapanen To ELC

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The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward Oliver Kapanen to a three-year, entry-level contract that will run through the 2026-27 season. Kapanen was the Canadiens’ second-round selection in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft (64th overall) and is the cousin of current NHLer Kasperi Kapanen, and the nephew of former NHLer Sami Kapanen.

Kapanen spent last season with KalPa Kuopio in the Liiga where he registered 14 goals and 20 assists in 51 games. The 20-year-old had a very successful playoff run to finish off his season, tying for the points lead with seven goals and seven assists in 13 games. The Timrå, Sweden native was also a member of Finland’s 2024 IIHF World Championship team, leading the team with six goals in eight games.

Kapanen could be given a look at Canadiens training camp this fall and might even be good enough for a role in the team’s bottom six, most likely on the fourth line. However, given how little Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis has played his fourth line, it might not be best for Kapanen’s development.

He is signed with Timrå of the SHL for the 2024-25 season and with the team’s lack of forward depth, it might be the best option for Kapanen going forward as he will get consistent ice time to fuel his development. Kapanen projects to be a top-9 center for the Canadiens in the future, but likely won’t develop into the top-line center that the team has coveted for years.

Big Hype Prospects: Augustine, Solberg, Kapanen, Emery

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The World Championship has kicked off, bringing back the energy and excitement of international hockey at the top level. This year’s tournament has offered a special platform to the underappreciated hockey countries – with Austria, Poland, Switzerland, and Latvia offering some of the best hockey of the kickoff weekend. There has also been a rare influx of young players earning big chances, with the tournament currently led in scoring by 18-year-old Connor Bedard and in save percentage by 23-year-old Lukas Dostal. The boost of younger talent has offered scouts an extra look at some of the top prospects in the world. We’ll follow suit, once again borrowing the Big Hype Prospects series from MLB Trade Rumors and breaking down some of the top performers from Worlds.

Four Big Hype Prospects

Trey Augustine, G, Michigan State (NCAA Big Ten, Detroit Red Wings)
35 GP – 23 Wins – 0.915 SV% – 2.96 GAA

Trey Augustine made history on Saturday, stepping in for Team USA starter Alex Lyon following an undisclosed injury. Augustine stepped in just 24 minutes into the game and held strong, saving 11 of the 12 shots he faced en route to USA’s 6-1 win over Team Germany. The performance earned Augustine the win, making him just the fifth U20 goaltender to record a win at Worlds since 2000. He joins a list of incredibly talented goaltenders, including Juuse Saros, Andrei Vasilevskiy, John Gibson, and Jacob Markstrom. But what’s more – Augustine is the first U20 goalie since 2000 to step into a World Championship role without playing in a pro league first, though Gibson only had one AHL under his belt. Instead, Augustine is backstopping one of the World Championship’s top teams directly out of college, just months after rivaling the Big Ten ’Goalie of the Year’ Award. Augustine was nicknamed ’The Closer’ during his years at the U.S. National Team Development Program and is living up to the high acclaim now, showing a fantastic amount of poise and skill even at the top level. While there’s still a long road ahead for Augustine – who is currently expected to return to Michigan State next season – the Red Wings have to be happy with the value they’ve gotten out of the 2023 second round.

Stian Solberg, LHD, Vålerenga (Norway, 2024 NHL Draft Eligible)
42 GP – 5 G – 10 A – 15 TP – 47 PIM – +2 +/-

Stian Solberg is quickly winning the hearts of hockey fans. He’s been asked to do it all this season – serving in a top role during club play with Vålerenga, as the #1-defenseman on Norway’s World Juniors team, and now as a top-four defender at the World Championship. Solberg has handled all of the challenge in stride, showing a fantastic ability to stay adaptable. Whether it’s a long reach while defending the rush, a big hit to spark energy, or nifty passing to create a chance in the offensive-end, Solberg seems capable of doing it all. The support of Norway’s men’s team has let Solberg embrace much more of his offensive skillset at Worlds and he’s taking full opportunity of the chance, showing an improved ability to carry the puck through the neutral zone and create chances from the blue-line. Solberg is continuing to look mature beyond his years, substantially boosting a case to go in the 2024 first-round that’s been steadily growing all season long.

Oliver Kapanen, C, KalPa (Liiga, Montreal Canadiens)
51 GP – 14 G – 20 A – 34 TP – 32 PIM – 0 +/-

Oliver Kapanen kicked off Worlds with a bang, recording a hat trick in Finland’s game against Team Great Britain. It’s perhaps lighter pickings than some of the other clubs Finland will face, but it was how Kapanen recorded his trick that made it so impressive. After years of trying to survive as a high-slot shooter, Kapanen potted all three goals on Saturday from the low-slot, using his strong frame and quick reactions to consistently win the battles for loose rebounds. The performance felt like the culmination of a development curve that Kapanen has been on all season long, learning how to become more confident in the gritty areas of the ice and make plays with little-to-no space. They’re next-level traits which will support Kapanen substantially as he continues to take on more-and-more of a role at the top level. Fans will need to wait out the rest of his World Championship performance before getting too excited, but he’s kicked off the tournament in exciting fashion, offering a shimmer of hope to Canadiens fans excited for their next Finnish centerman.

Eric ’EJ’ Emery, LHD, U.S. U18 (NTDP, 2024 NHL Draft Eligible)
61 GP – 0 G – 16 A – 16 TP – 30 PIM – +5 +/-

Eric ’EJ’ Emery isn’t currently representing his country at the World Championship, but he is still finding ways to make himself popular on social media, posting a video jumping over Scott Norton, the President of his agency (Twitter link). The video shows off just how athletic the 6’3″, 185-lbs frame of Emery is – as well as the impressive vertical he’s been working towards since last summer. Emery had a bit of an underwhelming year on the scoresheet but there are few scouts who aren’t excited about the stout defensive potential he offers. Emery is a smooth, lanky defender who uses a long reach and strong physical presence to close off opponents with ease. He’s also fantastic on the puck, corralling open pucks and finding teammates quickly, without losing any momentum in plays. Emery showed off just how well he can go from shutting down play on defense to inspiring offense at the World U18 Championship, where he recorded six assists in seven games as Team USA chased a Silver Medal finish. Emery is considered to be on the fringe of this year’s first round, though continued feats of athleticism, and what seems to be a high potential for added offense in the future, makes him one of the most exciting risers through the year’s second half.

Canadiens Prospect Oliver Kapanen Signs With SHL’s Timrå IK

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Canadiens fans may have to wait a little longer to see 2021 second-round pick Oliver Kapanen in North America. The Finnish center has signed a two-year contract with Timrå IK of the Swedish Hockey League, the club announced Thursday.

The Habs have yet to come to terms on an entry-level contract with Kapanen, which they must do by June 1, 2025, to avoid losing his signing rights and letting him become an unrestricted free agent. They can still sign him this summer if they wish, but in the likely event he doesn’t make the NHL roster, today’s news means he must be offered back to Timrå on loan before he can be assigned to AHL Laval. However, he could play in Laval in 2025-26 without Timrå’s permission.

Kapanen, 20, is a Finnish national but returns to his birthplace of Timrå for the next step in his professional career. The 6’1″ pivot has developed well over the past two seasons with KalPa in the Finnish Liiga, totaling 27 goals and 65 points in 124 games since making his top-level debut in 2021-22.

He’ll be suiting up for the Finnish men’s national team for the first time starting tomorrow at the 2024 World Championship, although it’s not his first experience on the international stage. He captained Finland’s contingent at the 2023 World Juniors, scoring twice and adding an assist in five games.

Kapanen should be in line for a significant role with Timrå next season. He ended 2023-24 on an electric tear with KalPa in the postseason, tying for the team lead in scoring with seven goals and 14 points in 13 games. He’ll join a Timrå offense featuring former Oilers forwards Anton Lander and Magnus Pääjärvi, as well as Senators prospect Oliver Johansson and Penguins prospect Filip Hallander.

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