Confirmed with Link: Penguins and Mike Sullivan part ways

[Coastal Kev]

Kapanen's career is where it's at because he's not a smart hockey player. Nothing to do with Sullivan

So you say... but I remember watching him play at Toronto.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Kapanen got ruined because he was more interested in partying and getting laid than being a NHLer. Blaming Sullivan on him regressing is ridiculous.

 

[TimmyD]

Kapanen got ruined because he was more interested in partying and getting laid than being a NHLer. Blaming Sullivan on him regressing is ridiculous.

Yeah not going to lie the whole blaming Sullivan for guys like Kapanen, Sprong and Puustinen thing is just tired at this point. Those guys just weren’t very good. Not sure why so many people can’t just accept that.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Kappy was in love with the lifestyle than actually playing the game.
Good riddance.

 

[PensFutures]

Kapanen got ruined because he was more interested in partying and getting laid than being a NHLer. Blaming Sullivan on him regressing is ridiculous.

Please tell me you remember his post on Instagram of him and a girl with the caption "Cheeks Klapanen"

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Using two first round picks for the sake of Kasperi Kapanen was definitely... a decision.

I don't have much to say about Sprong and Puus as one went on to be a pretty decent depth scorer elsewhere and the other is still technically TBD but I had had my fill of Kap by the end even though I at least saw the potential. I think this team gave him plenty of chances and a pretty nice contract, to boot. He spent a large chunk of time here on the second line including for some reason in the playoffs. Heinen/Malkin/Kap 4 lyfe.

 

[Jacob]

Kapanen has washed out of 4 organizations now. I think that's on him.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

The drunk driving incident was kind the thing that made me like "yeah this dude is a mess."

Not that people should be judged by one bad decision but like... it was pretty clear along with his substandard play that he wasn't taking things nearly seriously enough.

Man... this team's talent evaluation over the years has been pretty suspect.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

@SnowblindNYR sorry not sorry

LOL, why do I represent the NYR fanbase? But yeah, I'd rather not go this route.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yeah not going to lie the whole blaming Sullivan for guys like Kapanen, Sprong and Puustinen thing is just tired at this point. Those guys just weren’t very good. Not sure why so many people can’t just accept that.

I think the "those guys aren't very good" applies to Puustinen, but I don't think it applies to Sprong and Kapanen. With Sprong, he's a player that refuses to adjust his play style into something coaches would like more and it's why he's been a journeyman his entire career. With Kapanen, it's about him partying and not being serious enough as a NHLer. It's why those two have continued to bounce around after leaving the Penguins.

That wasn't Sullivan "ruining them", that was those guys having major personality flaws that basically ruined their own careers. I think both Sprong and Kapanen had the talent to be mainstays in the top-6 of whatever team they'd stick at, but both of those guys were either too arrogant (Sprong) or didn't care enough (Kapanen) to do that. That's not Sullivan's fault.

Sullivan has pushed out good players here that have gone on to be better elsewhere, with McCann, Cole, and Oleksiak being 3 big examples of that. But Kapanen and Sprong? Laughable to put that on Sullivan.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Kap sucks shit at hockey and he's trash to boot. f*** Kapanen.

 

[Lomez]

Kap sucks shit at hockey and he's trash to boot. f*** Kapanen.

Not a fan then?

 

[Rakell67]

Kap kicked my dog and pissed on my rose garden.

 

[Jacob]

I think Kapanen was a good pick at the time. He had a good draft year, he was a skilled guy, not some plug. He seemingly developed in a relatively upward trajectory the next 2 years. At 20/21 he was a PPG player in the AHL. Had a handful of productive NHL seasons. Seems like talent was never the issue.

Some guys just don't have it. But if you wanna start making picks based on character or maturity you're not going to be getting the most skilled or highest upside players.

 

[Turin]

I think Kapanen was a good pick at the time. He had a good draft year, he was a skilled guy, not some plug. He seemingly developed in a relatively upward trajectory the next 2 years. At 20/21 he was a PPG player in the AHL. Had a handful of productive NHL seasons. Seems like talent was never the issue.

Some guys just don't have it. But if you wanna start making picks based on character or maturity you're not going to be getting the most skilled or highest upside players.

His speed advantage also was bigger when he was coming up. Once the league as a whole got a little faster in both skating and moving the puck it was over cuz he has no hockey IQ.

 

[Harvey Birdman]

KK was a guy more interested in being a hockey player than playing hockey. He had all the tools but would put in the effort to reach the next level. His natural ability carried him. He defines the notion of “I am going to do just enough not to get fired.” But instead of a work place it was hockey.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Kapanen skated real fast, that was it. Dude was dumb as a f***ing doorknob on the ice. His patented move was to fly through the neutral zone with speed, pushing defenders back, then for no reason pull up as soon as he crossed the blueline and pass across the ice to nobody. Dude couldn't score for shit. If he had any sorta goal scoring prowess, he could've made a living as a Grabner type, but he had DOC's scoring ability--which is to say, just barely above Harkins' or Nieto's.

He wasn't even doing enough to not get fired. He simply had a last name and draft pedigree to not get fired. Should've been playing in some C-tier Euro league for a few years now.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I mean... hard to have a real problem with the initial pick. At 20some overall that's about what you expect and his first few years were promising if not a little uneven at times. Hell his first half a year back on the Penguins was promising.

I just can't help but roll my eyes at JR coughing up another first rounder to get him back.

 

[Beauner]

At the very least I'll always appreciate Kapanen giving me a funny story.

Right when sports betting was becoming mainstream, I took a buddy to a game that understands hockey, but doesn't really pay much attention to the NHL. To drum up some interest he asked me who's an under the radar guy who might score a hat trick so he could bet on them. I randomly said Kapanen since he kinda had pedigree but he'd still get good odds. My buddy was also familiar with the "Cheeks Klapanen" thing so... why not.

Whatever app he was using wouldn't let him place a player prop, he kept trying but he could only do the basic puck line, spread, etc.

Kappy ended up scoring a hat trick that game

 

[Pancakes]

Yeah not going to lie the whole blaming Sullivan for guys like Kapanen, Sprong and Puustinen thing is just tired at this point. Those guys just weren’t very good. Not sure why so many people can’t just accept that.

It was funny when Kapanen went on that little scoring binge with St. Louis and the usual types were talking about how Sullivan had ruined him and see St. Louis actually knows how to use him etc etc and really what had happened was that Kapanen was shooting like 20% with St. Louis. When his shooting percentage inevitably regressed he went back to being the turd he is.

 

[Mr. T]

Fellas, this is the Mike Sullivan was fired JO thread. Just ride the high here

 

[PensFutures]

They just wont let this dude go will they??

 

[Fordy]

do other teams do these extended eulogies for departing coaches and management staff? i swear it's just us. the farewell post was more than enough, are they going to put up something every day until the season starts?

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

They just wont let this dude go will they??

Sooner he gets hired sooner he’s off the payroll. FSG gotta pump his tires

 

[Icarium]

Every time I see the word winningest I refuse to believe that it's a real word. Does anyone use it outside of sports contexts?