Coaches Coroner
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RW Kasperi Kapanen (2014, 22nd, PIT; traded to TOR)
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Tasteslikekevinbacon
Registered User
Caught the first period of the Leafs vs Lightning and thought he looked good. Not a Leafs fan but I don't get why everyone has to **** on everyone else's prospects all the time.
He had some nice hands down low and controlled pace. Looked very poised with the puck from my limited viewing. Great stuff for Leafs fans!
He had some nice hands down low and controlled pace. Looked very poised with the puck from my limited viewing. Great stuff for Leafs fans!
Big McLargehuge
Fragile Traveler
That's been there forever with him, it can be both a positive and a negative. It rubbed a lot of people the wrong way when he was doing it as a junior player in Finland (when I saw him as a 15 year-old he barely acknowledged that he had teammates...but he was on a completely different level than everyone else on the ice), but as he climbs up the ladder it becomes something more desirable.
TheGroceryStick
Registered User
It was a decent game for the kids. One of those refreshing sights.
Kapanen looked light (I don't mean easy to push off) on his skates, seemed shifty and had a fluid stride. For his 1st game, he seemed calm and was reading the plays well. To me he looks like he has the tools to push himself to the next level.
Kapanen looked light (I don't mean easy to push off) on his skates, seemed shifty and had a fluid stride. For his 1st game, he seemed calm and was reading the plays well. To me he looks like he has the tools to push himself to the next level.
Semantics
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Leaf Rocket
Leaf Fan Till I Die
kelsier
Registered User
- Aug 17, 2013
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I'm hoping he could become anywhere even near as good as his father was. After several disappointing WJCs and mediocore success in FEL I'm having doubts. I think the last WJC was the most disappointing one, regardless of the golden goal. Overall he just didn't match expectations for someone who is 19 and supposedly has top end talent. I'd be happy to see him just to have a succesful second line career in the NHL at this point.
IMO the only thing that was disappointing in these WJCs was his shot accuracy which can obviously be improved.
kelsier
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- Aug 17, 2013
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He seemed disinterested engaging on board play time after time. Doing unnecessary dangling instead of playing fast direct game and sometimes I wondered if he even had an average hockey sense. He had trouble making the right decisions or/and find chemistry with his team mates. Overally lacking in complete gameplay. No notable steps forward from the other year. The accuracy was one of the lesser things that worried me in the overall game. I hope they can give him better guidance in Toronto than he ever had while playing in Kalpa. There are still the wheels and the hands, so who knows. Also I haven't watched the last two games so cannot comment on those, but glad to hear Kasperi doing better.
Holy negativity batman. Kapanen has been having a respectable Season in the AHL and has looked pretty good in his first two NHL games. His play in the past WJC improved greatly as the tournament went on. I certainly wouldn't call him a "disappointment" thus far for a guy who was picked 22nd overall. He's been pretty good this Season overall.
kelsier
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- Aug 17, 2013
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Please read before you post. I was preferring to WJC, not AHL nor NHL. Even specifically pointed out that I hadn't been watching his games over the pond. Geez. And no his game didn't improve greatly in the WJC as you pointed out. He scored the most important goal, but that's not about overall performance.
If you haven't been following him very closely, I wouldn't recommend labelling him a "disappointment" it seems somewhat unfair, no? As for you saying he didn't improve as the tournament went on, that's completely subjective. I thought he played really well the last 2 or 3 games of the tournament, his accuracy was just off and he was clearly lacking the confidence to finish.
kelsier
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- Aug 17, 2013
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Watched every single one of the games and had an eye on him especially. He was overshadowed in pretty much every aspect of them game compared to guys younger than him. That's not much of a mock considering who he was 'up against'. Nothing about his game translated to notable higher level which I already pointed out.
If he's playing well now for the Leafs I'm glad to hear, but obviously we had/have different standards for this guy.
I think that golden goal went straight to his confidence; he's been a far better player since coming back from the WJC.
It's real encouraging to see him move up and make some good impressions. I think there's a real high percentage that he becomes a full-time and effective NHL'er. What level is up to him and how well can put it all together with consistency, which has been his problem through junior. Though his coaches seem to indicate that's simply because he puts so much pressure on himself to perform.
I think what gives him a real chance to succeed with the Leafs in his elite speed and and willingness to back check. Babs will always have time for someone like that.
I think what gives him a real chance to succeed with the Leafs in his elite speed and and willingness to back check. Babs will always have time for someone like that.
Poignant Discussion*
I tell it like it is
I'm old enough to remember his father at same age. 19 year old Sami Kapanen was one-dimensional player relying on good puck control and excellent skating. I would never believed that that kid could play a career he played. So, I'm not commenting Kasperi's playing even thought I could have quite a lot critique to gave 
The Winter Soldier
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- Apr 4, 2011
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Kapanen has the look of a high side 2nd line winger or a low side 3rd line winger. He will probably be most valuable as a player that works hard, grinds it out, plays 2 way hockey. Realistically I see him as a 20 + 20, 40 point guy in the NHL depending on how far up in the line up he plays. If the Leafs one day ice a potent top 6. He will probably slot in nicely in the top 9.
Stolie the Goalie
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- Oct 29, 2010
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