Claimed off Waivers: [STL] Blues claim F Kasperi Kapanen off waivers from the Penguins

[STL fan in MN]

I don’t like it.

He’ll make $3.2M next year. He’s not worth that and the Blues still have a cap crunch.

He’s a floater PIT finally got sick of and jettisoned him. I’m sure Chief will love this guy…

Only thing I’m looking forward to is if he somehow plays against PIT in an hour as that would be funny. But that little kick lasts a few minutes and then we’re stuck with another floater for $3.2M next season…

Maybe this is connected to some other TBD deal that’ll move others out (Barbashev?) but I just don’t value Kapanen anywhere near $3.2M and he seems like the type of player Berube loathes.

 

[Godfather]

My fellow Bluesfans. Retool/Rebuild.

Army will toss him for a pick next deadline.

 

[Mestaruus]

He is crap and a waste of cap space.

*Kap space. *Krappanen.

I like Kapanen, but he may not be worth that 3.2 million.

 

[Magic Man]

They just moved ROR, Tarasenko, Mikkola and Acciari and soon to be Barbashev. It makes sense to add a body here, his pay and term isn't outrageous. He can play at the NHL level and he brings a rounded skill set. Looks like a pretty nice pickup for free.

 

[chethejet]

He regressed as he just couldn't play smart enough and his fundamentals are really poor. He can skate, shoot and has a really good hard shot. He didn;t PK for the Pens but he is better than average there. In short he is a risk but if he can get back his scoring and going to the net, he is a good player. Hard to find players with his physical skills for 3 million.

 

[BlueSeal]

He can skate like the wind..... and that's about it, he'll always just skate the puck out, stop at the far RW wall and wait for trailers almost 98% of the time, then tease you by roofing a nasty qucik shot once every 4 months.

How’s his passing?

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

They just moved ROR, Tarasenko, Mikkola and Acciari and soon to be Barbashev. It makes sense to add a body here, his pay and term isn't outrageous. He can play at the NHL level and he brings a rounded skill set. Looks like a pretty nice pickup for free.

Yup given a chance he'll produce pretty well. They'll flip him for a nice return next trade deadline.

 

[PromisedLand]

now blues can retain and flip him

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

How’s his passing?

Mixed, not bad, not great, mostly off the mark, picked off and leads to odd man breaks, or drop passes to ghosts that get picked off and go the other way, he's speed and when he actually uses it his shot are his best offensive tools.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

How’s his passing?

Mediocre, like most of his tools.

The bigger issue isn't even with the physical act of passing. Like everything with Kappy, he doesn't really see the ice very well. Not much of a toolbox, so if a play isn't blatantly obvious he'll miss it.

 

[Harvey Birdman]

I don’t like it.

He’ll make $3.2M next year. He’s not worth that and the Blues still have a cap crunch.

He’s a floater PIT finally got sick of and jettisoned him. I’m sure Chief will love this guy…

Only thing I’m looking forward to is if he somehow plays against PIT in an hour as that would be funny. But that little kick lasts a few minutes and then we’re stuck with another floater for $3.2M next season…

Maybe this is connected to some other TBD deal that’ll move others out (Barbashev?) but I just don’t value Kapanen anywhere near $3.2M and he seems like the type of player Berube loathes.

I’ll try and give an unbiased assessment. I am happy he is no longer in the Black and Gold but I’ll shelve that for a second and attempt to be unbiased as possible.

KK will show flashes of skill that give you glimpses into what he capable of which is a lot more than what he commonly shows. With his speed and skill if he ever put together consistency he would ideally be the 3rd wheel on a top line. Or the primary wing on a 2nd line. But that’s if he ever put it together. Which he has not to this point with any definable form of consistency.

When he is frustrating you, he shows about 70% speed in a pure linear line in a single direction with absolutely no back check. That will only take chances from just outside the lane and only when they are almost handed to him as a gift.

Personally I’m just done with him as a fan of Pittsburgh. But if he ever found focus and drive then yielded it into developing consistency he would be an extremely useful winger.

But I, with reason, have strong doubts he will ever put it together. He to me seems to enjoy the life of a hockey player and not the game of hockey. That’s just a personal opinion, regardless best of luck to him with the Blues.

 

[Mike Liut]

Sounds like the Blues just replaced Tarasenko without the goals

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

He's an odd player to really get a good bead on because he teases and infuriates you too much, the skill and tools are there, just the toolbox is missing for months, figures it out for a solid couple of weeks then forgets what he was doing well and reverts to being just a guy again.

 

[Mrfenn92]

Always liked Kasperi

 

[bleuetbio]

and when everything seems to look bad in St-Louis, you add this...

Well, everything look greater now

 

[STL fan in MN]

I’ll try and give an unbiased assessment. I am happy he is no longer in the Black and Gold but I’ll shelve that for a second and attempt to be unbiased as possible.

KK will show flashes of skill that give you glimpses into what he capable of which is a lot more than what he commonly shows. With his speed and skill if he ever put together consistency he would ideally be the 3rd wheel on a top line. Or the primary wing on a 2nd line. But that’s if he ever put it together. Which he has not to this point with any definable form of consistency.

When he is frustrating you, he shows about 70% speed in a pure linear line in a single direction with absolutely no back check. That will only take chances from just outside the lane and only when they are almost handed to him as a gift.

Personally I’m just done with him as a fan of Pittsburgh. But if he ever found focus and drive then yielded it into developing consistency he would be an extremely useful winger.

But I, with reason, have strong doubts he will ever put it together. He to me seems to enjoy the life of a hockey player and not the game of hockey. That’s just a personal opinion, regardless best of luck to him with the Blues.

Thank you for the breakdown.

A good friend is a Pens fan and basically said the exact same thing.

Kap turns 27 this summer. I would have to agree he is unlikely to have something magically click now and he fulfills his potential. I recall liking him in his draft year but I’ll be surprised if this turns out well for the Blues.

 

[stl76]

Woof. Maybe the Blues can flip him for a pick or something but not a fan of this move. Here's hoping I'm proven wrong...

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

I’ll try and give an unbiased assessment. I am happy he is no longer in the Black and Gold but I’ll shelve that for a second and attempt to be unbiased as possible.

KK will show flashes of skill that give you glimpses into what he capable of which is a lot more than what he commonly shows. With his speed and skill if he ever put together consistency he would ideally be the 3rd wheel on a top line. Or the primary wing on a 2nd line. But that’s if he ever put it together. Which he has not to this point with any definable form of consistency.

When he is frustrating you, he shows about 70% speed in a pure linear line in a single direction with absolutely no back check. That will only take chances from just outside the lane and only when they are almost handed to him as a gift.

Personally I’m just done with him as a fan of Pittsburgh. But if he ever found focus and drive then yielded it into developing consistency he would be an extremely useful winger.

But I, with reason, have strong doubts he will ever put it together. He to me seems to enjoy the life of a hockey player and not the game of hockey. That’s just a personal opinion, regardless best of luck to him with the Blues.

Pretty much this in a nutshell.

 

[BHD]

I'm shocked. I didn't think he would get claimed.

 

[ColbyChaos]

L

Totally thought this would be a Zaitsev type move for Pit to unload him

 

[Ciao]

Thank you for the breakdown.

A good friend is a Pens fan and basically said the exact same thing.

Kap turns 27 this summer. I would have to agree he is unlikely to have something magically click now and he fulfills his potential. I recall liking him in his draft year but I’ll be surprised if this turns out well for the Blues.

The Blues could trade him for a 2nd at the TDL next year, if they're sellers then.

His contract won't look as bad. They might be able to retain, and turn nothing into something.

I the meantime, he is a free wallet with some upside. He does have some considerable skills.

 

[Ugene Magic]

I don’t like it.

He’ll make $3.2M next year. He’s not worth that and the Blues still have a cap crunch.

He’s a floater PIT finally got sick of and jettisoned him. I’m sure Chief will love this guy…

Only thing I’m looking forward to is if he somehow plays against PIT in an hour as that would be funny. But that little kick lasts a few minutes and then we’re stuck with another floater for $3.2M next season…

Maybe this is connected to some other TBD deal that’ll move others out (Barbashev?) but I just don’t value Kapanen anywhere near $3.2M and he seems like the type of player Berube loathes.

Kapanen was never going to get the top six spot he needed to flourish. His numbers are not bad even with the Pens tanking his minutes.

 

[AjaxManifesto]

Rebirth?
Reboot?
Or just Rehash?

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

Rebirth?
Reboot?
Or just Rehash?

Re-fart?

 

[BretterThanYou]

At worst he's a warm body during the rebuild/retool. At best, he improves in a new environment, and we can flip him for a pick next season.