Prospect Info: Oliver Kapanen, RHC, KalPa U20 (U20 SM-sarja), 64th Overall

[bopeep]

Isn't he barely playing? Sounds like he can't even get playing time.

I don't know how you pick this guy over Winterton.. alas...

Another "great" second-rounder !!!!

The Canadiens "faithful" eat their young while still in the womb... Kapanen wouldn't have been my choice either where he was drafted but like it or don't - he's a baby Hab and I'll cheer for him and hope that he develops into something awesome

 

[montreal]

he's been injured twice so he's barely played since the end of Oct. He played just 5 games in Nov, 5 just 3 games in Dec and 5 games in Jan. His junior league stats are impressive but very small sample 10 pts in 7 games. He's played 3 games in what is their AHL and has 1 pt. In Liiga he has only 2 pts in 13 games but his ave TOI is 9:35 as he's mostly a 4th line center.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Kapanen is loaned to Karpat of Liiga for two matches:

 

[Adam Michaels]

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Going to have to try and see if I can catch one of Kapanen's games, he leads the team in goals in the playoffs with 4 in 5 games, The Finals start next week.

If Dichow loses tomorrow his season is over unless he makes Team Denmark for the WC's, which I could see happening.

Norlinder and Frolunda start their playoffs tomorrow.

Just don't go in expecting fun hockey out of the U-20 SM league. Most of the games get hard to watch real quick

 

[WeThreeKings]

Just don't go in expecting fun hockey out of the U-20 SM league. Most of the games get hard to watch real quick

Ain't this the truth. Sometimes scouting european players is such a f***ing chore.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Ain't this the truth. Sometimes scouting european players is such a f***ing chore.

The liiga itself can get pretty brutal . I remember trying to watch a lot of Joni Ikonen when he was with Kalpa and wanting to claw my freaking eyes out

 

[montreal]

Just don't go in expecting fun hockey out of the U-20 SM league. Most of the games get hard to watch real quick

it's funny you say that as I had never seen a Liiga U-20 game and last night was looking to see if I could find some video of Kapanen in that league, so I found some U-20 games but not his, watching it reminded me of my days playing in the USHS at 7 am on a Sunday in Delaware where there would be like 10 people in the crowd. The rinks looked the same, lol.

 

[Adam Michaels]

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

It's almost weird to me that he's still a U20, it feels like we drafted him much longer ago somehow. I guess the whole covid thing has kinda warped time in my brain

 

[BaseballCoach]

It's almost weird to me that he's still a U20, it feels like we drafted him much longer ago somehow. I guess the whole covid thing has kinda warped time in my brain

He's still 18 and can play in the next TWO WJCs.

 

[Adam Michaels]

 

[Habs Halifax]

He's still 18 and can play in the next TWO WJCs.

He's one of our prospects that might surprise like Lehkonen. Or not. Hard to say but he's not really on our radar cause we have so many prospects with more to come.

Big off season of training for him. He's a bit light for his body size so add a bit of muscle and focus on skating. Could jump forward by a fair margin next season.

 

[BaseballCoach]

He's one of our prospects that might surprise like Lehkonen. Or not. Hard to say but he's not really on our radar cause we have so many prospects with more to come.

Big off season of training for him. He's a bit light for his body size so add a bit of muscle and focus on skating. Could jump forward by a fair margin next season.

Lehkonen was not really a surprise.

 

[morhilane]

It's almost weird to me that he's still a U20, it feels like we drafted him much longer ago somehow. I guess the whole covid thing has kinda warped time in my brain

You are not the only one. I was sure he was older too.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Lehkonen was not really a surprise.

Yes he was cause not all 2nd rounders reach their potential.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Yes he was cause not all 2nd rounders reach their potential.

I know, but he was doing well in Sweden and we were stoked when he signed.

 

[Wats]

He's one of our prospects that might surprise like Lehkonen. Or not. Hard to say but he's not really on our radar cause we have so many prospects with more to come.

Big off season of training for him. He's a bit light for his body size so add a bit of muscle and focus on skating. Could jump forward by a fair margin next season.

It's easy to forget but Lehkonen's Liiga production at 17 was actually really good. Kapanen has a long way to get to be as good as him at same age.

 

[Habs Halifax]

It's easy to forget but Lehkonen's Liiga production at 17 was actually really good. Kapanen has a long way to get to be as good as him at same age.

True and I noticed this as well but not all players develop and jump forward at the same age points.

I know, but he was doing well in Sweden and we were stoked when he signed.

I'm not saying he develops for sure into a Lehkonen value but he might. He's not on many Habs fans radar at the moment and it's still very early in his development.

It's a big offseason for him as he heads into next year.

 

[LaP]

Lehkonen was not really a surprise.

He was kind of a disappointment. I mean his Liiga stats were incredible. I personally though he had the potential to be a 25-50 defensive winger. I guess he could still pull it off with the Avs.

Yes he was cause not all 2nd rounders reach their potential.

That's not really a surprise though. A surprise is something you did not see coming. Lehkonen's liiga stats looked more like the stats of a guy who would be drafted in the first round. I remember being very happy we got him this low.

 

[Habs Halifax]

He was kind of a disappointment. I mean his Liiga stats were incredible. I personally though he had the potential to be a 25-50 defensive winger. I guess he could still pull it off with the Avs.



That's not really a surprise though. A surprise is something you did not see coming. Lehkonen's liiga stats looked more like the stats of a guy who would be drafted in the first round. I remember being very happy we got him this low.

Getting a NHL asset from the 2nd round is a surprise.

 

[LaP]

Getting a NHL asset from the 2nd round is a surprise.

We do not have the same definition of a surprise. Pretty much every year you have around 3 good players drafted in the 2nd round. So you have around 10% to get a good player out of a 2nd round pick. I would not call that a surprise but i guess we are arguing about semantic here.

Getting a NHL player form a 5th round pick that is a surprise.

 

[Habs Halifax]

We do not have the same definition of a surprise. Pretty much every year you have around 3 good players drafted in the 2nd round. So you have around 10% to get a good player out of a 2nd round pick. I would not call that a surprise but i guess we are arguing about semantic here.

Getting a NHL player form a 5th round pick that is a surprise.

3/32 in the 2nd round is considered a surprise. Regardless, I don't like the direction of this debate. It's a miniscule one. You don't like the Lehkonen narrative put towards Kapanen. I get it. All I'm saying is he is under the radar in our pool and he could surprise. Personally, I don't expect all 2nd round+ picks to be NHL player.

 

[1909]

Will Kapanen be "another" failure from our scouting-drafting crew in Finland and Sweden ?

 

[WeThreeKings]

Will Kapanen be "another" failure from our scouting-drafting crew in Finland and Sweden ?

He won't be as good as Ryan Winterton, that's for sure.