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

[Tyson]

He also said Kapanen been playing hockey for 6 weeks. He's expecting him have great camp. Let's hope McCagg is right for once.

It's funny but I watch the Sick podcast (out of boredom) and he has become the only guy I can actually tolerate.

 

[Saundies]

We hear a lot about these European lads playing well in their respective leagues (from their respective coaches) and when they get over here, it's a different story. The only one recent one I remember living up to their expectations (and since exceeded them) was Lehkonen.

 

[Andrei79]

We hear a lot about these European lads playing well in their respective leagues (from their respective coaches) and when they get over here, it's a different story. The only one recent one I remember living up to their expectations (and since exceeded them) was Lehkonen.

It's because a lot of people have trouble differentiating technical skills from good hockey players from actually skilled players. Kapanen has a good profile. Lehkonen understood the game and played it with intensity, he had a translatable game. Players like Brook and Norlinder show technical skills but don't understand the game. They're not good at what they're supposed to in the NA pro game either. I tend to temper expectations until I see them on NA ice.

 

[Nevins]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1832052675841781783

 

[1909]

We hear a lot about these European lads playing well in their respective leagues (from their respective coaches) and when they get over here, it's a different story. The only one recent one I remember living up to their expectations (and since exceeded them) was Lehkonen.

I hope too that Habs will finally be lucky and get more talent out of Finland and Sweden. Besides Lehkonen, and Koivu and Naslund long time ago, Habs did not strike gold out of those countries.

 

[NewDef]

I'm eager to see how well he does at camp. I think we may be pleasantly surprised.

My take is he goes back to his team for this year but next year when Dvorak/Armia/Gally/Anderson/Pezz are gone, we may see him center 3rd line...

 

[Egresch]

We hear a lot about these European lads playing well in their respective leagues (from their respective coaches) and when they get over here, it's a different story. The only one recent one I remember living up to their expectations (and since exceeded them) was Lehkonen.

 

[Saundies]

View attachment 905952

Yeah he isn't exactly along the lines of what I'm talking about. I meant like Nygren, Norlinder, De La Rose, etc. Not first overall picks.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I'm eager to see how well he does at camp. I think we may be pleasantly surprised.

My take is he goes back to his team for this year but next year when Dvorak/Armia/Gally/Anderson/Pezz are gone, we may see him center 3rd line...

I think he's going to be a hard worker and he does the boring stuff well but not so sure he earns a spot by producing offense.

We have decent depth at center and I prefer Kapanen to play one more SHL season in a high usage role. High usage in SHL vs bottom 6 role in the NHL. Let him gain some momentum by padding his offensive stats in the SHL as much as he can. Gives him a bit more confidence at both ends of the ice.

 

[Habs Halifax]

It's because a lot of people have trouble differentiating technical skills from good hockey players from actually skilled players. Kapanen has a good profile. Lehkonen understood the game and played it with intensity, he had a translatable game. Players like Brook and Norlinder show technical skills but don't understand the game. They're not good at what they're supposed to in the NA pro game either. I tend to temper expectations until I see them on NA ice.

Takes D a lot longer to sort out their flaws. Most of them don't and the ones who do, typically start showing it around the age 24-26 range ish. I don't think Brook and Norlinder situations apply to Kapanen but Lehkonen does though.

I do agree though... Kapanen has developed well in the SHL and if he makes the NHL, it's going to be another level of adjustment. D is the hardest and then centers. Kapanen has to stay hungry to improve. What he has done so far has earned him a shot but his work is not done yet. Same with Beck and others. Coaches and players who made it will tell you the same. The hard work doesn't stop and you always have to work at the flaws.

 

[Egresch]

I think he's going to be a hard worker and he does the boring stuff well but not so sure he earns a spot by producing offense.

We have decent depth at center and I prefer Kapanen to play one more SHL season in a high usage role. High usage in SHL vs bottom 6 role in the NHL. Let him gain some momentum by padding his offensive stats in the SHL as much as he can. Gives him a bit more confidence at both ends of the ice.

I am really surprised that he is even attending the camp. We have a solid roster and his odds of making the team are like 20%? Why do they even bother flying him over and disrupting his start in new team and league. Let him develop one more year in SHL and bring him in next year. If he develops as we expect, his odds would be like 70% to make the team straight from the camp.

 

[Wateredgarden]

I am really surprised that he is even attending the camp. We have a solid roster and his odds of making the team are like 20%? Why do they even bother flying him over and disrupting his start in new team and league. Let him develop one more year in SHL and bring him in next year. If he develops as we expect, his odds would be like 70% to make the team straight from the camp.

You really think attending an NHL camp will disrupt his season?

 

[Shutdown]

I am really surprised that he is even attending the camp. We have a solid roster and his odds of making the team are like 20%? Why do they even bother flying him over and disrupting his start in new team and league. Let him develop one more year in SHL and bring him in next year. If he develops as we expect, his odds would be like 70% to make the team straight from the camp.

why even bother having a rookie camp, all those guys are going to get cut anyway

 

[DAChampion]

Yeah he isn't exactly along the lines of what I'm talking about. I meant like Nygren, Norlinder, De La Rose, etc. Not first overall picks.

It's not clear what happened to Nygren. His numbers in Sweden were amazing.

why even bother having a rookie camp, all those guys are going to get cut anyway

Because once every ten (or more?) years, there's an Arber Xhekaj.

 

[Shutdown]

It's not clear what happened to Nygren. His numbers in Sweden were amazing.



Because once every ten (or more?) years, there's an Arber Xhekaj.

i was being sarcastic - trying to point out the flaw in logic in having Kapanen skip training camp because of the perception that he can't crack the roster

 

[Tyson]

It's not clear what happened to Nygren. His numbers in Sweden were amazing.



Because once every ten (or more?) years, there's an Arber Xhekaj.

Didn't the Habs invite undrafted Branden Hagel to their rookie camp years ago only not to sign him?

 

[Egresch]

You really think attending an NHL camp will disrupt his season?

Absolutely, fans in NA do not fully understand how hockey in Europe works. Timra is a pro club and they want to have their best players available to be successful. Fans and sponsors expect that. Their season starts on Sept 21st and their No.1 center will not be available. Now, his coach needs to find replacement and move all his lines. When he comes back and they are on a hot streak, he might not play top 6 role anymore. How would MSL react if Laine decides he wants to play few games in Finland instead of NHL season start? (Similar situation, because both are new in their team and are expected to be top6).
Look at Aatos Koivu, he immediatelly said that he will not attend any of development nor rookie camp and he will concentrate on making TPS team. He obviously has some smart advisors around him, no question about it.

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

I'm eager to see how well he does at camp. I think we may be pleasantly surprised.

My take is he goes back to his team for this year but next year when Dvorak/Armia/Gally/Anderson/Pezz are gone, we may see him center 3rd line...

I wouldn’t get your hopes up for Gally And Anderson being gone after this season. They need to have very good years to give KH a chance at trading them with two years left

why even bother having a rookie camp, all those guys are going to get cut anyway

Reasons are two fold- keep camp competitive with as many players who are hungry to offer a good environment, secondly to have an extended look at prospects to evaluate development. As we’ve seen with several of our prospects, one season can change a lot

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

Takes D a lot longer to sort out their flaws. Most of them don't and the ones who do, typically start showing it around the age 24-26 range ish. I don't think Brook and Norlinder situations apply to Kapanen but Lehkonen does though.

I do agree though... Kapanen has developed well in the SHL and if he makes the NHL, it's going to be another level of adjustment. D is the hardest and then centers. Kapanen has to stay hungry to improve. What he has done so far has earned him a shot but his work is not done yet. Same with Beck and others. Coaches and players who made it will tell you the same. The hard work doesn't stop and you always have to work at the flaws.

Crosby. The embodiment of this statement

 

[Egresch]

why even bother having a rookie camp, all those guys are going to get cut anyway

Rookie camp is totally fine, but it is designed for your AHL prospects or North America junior players. And you can find diamonds like Xhekaj or Hagel there. Even now, our best rookies are not participating: Demidov, Hage, Fowler.
- Lane Hutson missed last year rookie camp due to NCAA rules. Did it hurt his development and his season? No
- David Reinbacher participated in rookie camp after super hectic draft summer, missed start of season in Swiss. Did it help his season and his development? No
- Ivan Demidov will not participate in rookie camp. If he did, do you think he would make SKA team? Probably not. Does playing KHL alongside Kuznecov help his development? I think so.
In the grand scheme of things, is it really important to bring Kapanen to main camp this year? Does playing No. 1 center in SHL benefit his development, so he could become the best version of himself?

 

[Wateredgarden]

Absolutely, fans in NA do not fully understand how hockey in Europe works. Timra is a pro club and they want to have their best players available to be successful. Fans and sponsors expect that. Their season starts on Sept 21st and their No.1 center will not be available. Now, his coach needs to find replacement and move all his lines. When he comes back and they are on a hot streak, he might not play top 6 role anymore. How would MSL react if Laine decides he wants to play few games in Finland instead of NHL season start? (Similar situation, because both are new in their team and are expected to be top6).
Look at Aatos Koivu, he immediatelly said that he will not attend any of development nor rookie camp and he will concentrate on making TPS team. He obviously has some smart advisors around him, no question about it.

Laine wouldn't do that because it's a lower level league and the whole point of Kapanen career is to play in the NHL. He's already played his way as the number one center as pre-season has begun already.

Koivu is not ready to even step on the same ice as nhlers, he'd barely play and be among the first cut.

 

[LaP]

It's not clear what happened to Nygren. His numbers in Sweden were amazing.

His AHL numbers were petty fine too. I think he had homesickness. Was not he the one who complained about crime rate in Hamilton?

People ned to realize that for many Europeans the choice between playing on a 3rd line in the NHL for 1-2 millions a year or being a star in their country for 100-200k a year is not that easy to make. There's many guys in Europe who could be good depth players in the NHL but they got paid decent money to be a star in their country closer to their family.

 

[DAChampion]

His AHL numbers were petty fine too. I think he had homesickness. Was not he the one who complained about crime rate in Hamilton?

Yes he was, but his numbers never recovered when he went back to Europe.

 

[Shutdown]

Rookie camp is totally fine, but it is designed for your AHL prospects or North America junior players. And you can find diamonds like Xhekaj or Hagel there. Even now, our best rookies are not participating: Demidov, Hage, Fowler.
- Lane Hutson missed last year rookie camp due to NCAA rules. Did it hurt his development and his season? No
- David Reinbacher participated in rookie camp after super hectic draft summer, missed start of season in Swiss. Did it help his season and his development? No
- Ivan Demidov will not participate in rookie camp. If he did, do you think he would make SKA team? Probably not. Does playing KHL alongside Kuznecov help his development? I think so.
In the grand scheme of things, is it really important to bring Kapanen to main camp this year? Does playing No. 1 center in SHL benefit his development, so he could become the best version of himself?

it's about management being able to see him in person, not only in direct comparison with other prospects, but to established roster players.
the more information you have the better, whether it's for building your roster or preparing for a trade down the line.

there is zero downside to having a guy like Kapanen attend. it also sends the message that management trusts the player and establishes the possibility of the player being able to force management's hand in making the roster. you think Kapanen would rather stay home?

the only guys who don't attend, can't attend. attending training camp isn't the reason why Reinbacher played for three coaches last season.

 

[LaP]

Yes he was, but his numbers never recovered when he went back to Europe.

He still had a more than decent career in Europe. He's still playing at age 34 in the SHL.