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Montreal Canadiens forward Oliver Kapanen – (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Canadiens’ Kapanen a Logical Alternative to Newhook at Centre

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Ryan Szporer | Last updated Apr 3, 2025 8:35 AM ET

The Montreal Canadiens may technically have a lot to lose, should they decide to take a chance on a returning Oliver Kapanen. They have a lot more to gain, should it work out.

With Kapanen’s Swedish Hockey League season having just ended, he’s headed back to North America, rejoining the Canadiens after having been loaned to Timra IK earlier this season. While his first season started off underwhelmingly with two assists in 12 games, effectively prompting the Canadiens to okay his departure, he is a logical player to try out at centre on the second line, with Alex Newhook failing to produce consistently in the role.

Newhook Struggles in Sophomore Season with Canadiens

To be fair, Newhook produced beyond adequately under similar circumstances last season, with Kirby Dach out for the season. Upon returning from his own early-season injury in February, Newhook went on to score 21 points (eight goals) in his last 30 games as the team’s de facto second-line centre. This season, with Dach having suffered another season-ending knee injury in February, Newhook has scored just six points (four goals) in 17 games since effectively replacing the former down the middle. For a second-line centre, the 29-point pace just isn’t good enough, or good period. Expectations must be higher.

So, Kapanen rejoining the Canadiens could be just what the doctor ordered in that respect, although he does admittedly face several obstacles in his way, in addition to the inauspicious start to his NHL career after having made the team out of training camp. For starters, the Canadiens may not see him as a centre, seeing as most of his ice time had come on Christian Dvorak’s wing, opposite Emil Heineman.

Secondly, it’s unlike head coach Martin St. Louis to move away from a winning lineup. And, since the Habs just swept a home-and-home series against the Stanley Cup-champion Florida Panthers playing Newhook between Heineman and Patrik Laine, only the latter tallying a single point in the two games (albeit a power-play goal on a different unit altogether), that’s probably how it will stay, at least for now. Sad but true.

However, St. Louis must realize the team is stronger with Kapanen in the lineup, at least if we’re talking at the expense of Michael Pezzetta, all due respect to him. Pezzetta’s drawn back into the lineup while Joshua Roy has served as a healthy scratch, which in and of itself is puzzling based on the latter’s upside. Regardless, it’s simple math.

Pezzetta Not a Replacement for Heineman on Fourth Line

Just like when Pezzetta finally dressed after a long absence once Heineman got injured for an extended period of time in January, he’s seen limited ice time over the last two games. That puts the Canadiens at a serious disadvantage. On average, Pezzetta, who has zero points this season, is playing 5:55 per game, which effectively reduces the Habs to 11 forwards a game.

In contrast, Kapanen played double that over his 12 games so far (11:38). If you’re St. Louis, wouldn’t you prefer playing a forward you trust literally twice as much? Of course. And, if you’re willing to change your lineup on a modest, admittedly impressive two-game winning streak by replacing Pezzetta with Kapanen, it makes sense to make other changes too.

It’s not so much the fact that Kapanen is the answer on a hypothetical second line on which he centres Laine and Newhook, who would realistically be moved back to the wing. It’s that a fourth line of Jake Evans between Heineman (instead of Pezzetta) and Joel Armia is a massive upgrade over the status quo, based on how much the Habs have relied on that specific trio all season.

Granted, Armia looks injured right now. Meanwhile, Heineman has literally a single point since he returned from injury after the 4 Nations Face-Off in late February. However, Pezzetta on that line isn’t exactly the answer to what ails it, even if only by virtue of the undeniable fact St. Louis won’t give him more than a handful of minutes each game to prove he can be. Heineman is at least guaranteed a regular shift. Sure, that fourth line may still have its production issues putting Heineman back on it. However, the way things are right now, St. Louis is resigning himself to having two different lines that aren’t producing. It makes sense to at least try something different, even in the context of two straight wins.

Kapanen Gives Canadiens Best Chance to Win

Some may suggest the time for experimentation is over. With a playoff spot suddenly on the line, the Canadiens can’t afford to make tweaks to a winning lineup. However, it wasn’t that long ago St. Louis literally played seven defensemen and 11 forwards (with disastrous results). At least inserting Kapanen into the lineup is an attempt to fix something that’s clearly broken in terms of the team’s secondary scoring. There’s an admitted chance it won’t work, but there’s a significant, non-zero chance the Habs are going to lose again the way the lineup is put together right now. Waiting for that shoe to drop is even crazier.

If you’re the Canadiens, you wouldn’t wait to re-insert a returning superstar from injury while on a winning streak. Kapanen isn’t a superstar obviously, but he was drafted in the second round with relatively high expectations he could develop into a difference-maker at the NHL level. Putting him in a position to succeed, rather than in a bottom-six role like the one in which he found himself to start the season, is the best way to find out what he’s got.

It also gives the Canadiens the best chance to succeed too. It’s a win-win in that sense. The Habs can’t lose… or at least they’re far less likely to with Kapanen in the lineup.