Oliver Kapanen Is The Habs Most Underrated Player

On Thursday night, Kapanen became the 1st rookie to reach 15 goals after he scored a goal for the 3rd straight game. He also became the 3rd Hab on the season to reach that mark after Cole Caufield and Slafkovsky. Kapanen’s goals are less about the actual power of his shot and more about just how good he is at getting into the right places. The goal on Thursday night is a great example of that, as he was in the perfect position to knock a puck in the air with his backhand as Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky attempted to push the puck out of harm’s way. Part of that is, of course, his hand-eye coordination, but being at the right place at the right time is a huge reason that he scored that goal.

To put into perspective how good of a goal-scoring rookie Kapanen has been during his rookie season, he is on pace for 28 goals this year, which would be the 5th highest in team history among Habs rookies. Only Joe Malone, Kjell Dahlin, Bernie Geoffrion, and Guy Lafleur, in that order, scored more in their rookie seasons with the Canadiens. That would put Kapanen among the greats in Habs history for his rookie season. Now, he almost definitely won’t become a superstar for the Canadiens, but he’s shown that he can be a key producer for the Habs as a middle-six centre at the very least.

While Demidov and Slafkovsky successfully make high-risk, high-reward passes to Kapanen in front of the net almost every game, the fact that he’s always able to get into open spaces for those chances shows just how amazing a hockey brain the Finnish forward has.

Kapanen may not have the pure skill level of his two linemates, but he does the little things that allow them to get the puck and move in transition. Oftentimes, Kapanen’s defensive abilities are what start the offensive plays that lead to goals. He has shown that you don’t have to drive the play to be a 2nd line centre as long as you play a responsible 200-foot game and have wingers that can be play drivers with the puck. This is exactly the case, and why the Canadiens don’t need to look for a top 6 centre anytime soon, as all 3 players on the 2nd line seem to be clicking so well.

If there is one stat that shows just how underrated Kapanen’s play has been thus far, it is the fact that he is just one of the 2 forwards in the NHL who have both 15 goals and 45 blocked shots, along with Auston Matthews. This shows that Kapanen has a lot to bring both offensively and defensively to the Canadiens this season.

Overall, the improvement in Kapanen over the last year has been incredible. Last season, he made the Habs out of camp and played a few games with the Habs before getting loaned back to Timra of the SHL. In Timra, he produced just under a point per game with 15 goals and 35 points in 36 games. That season definitely helped him when he returned to the Habs organization in April, but he didn’t show nearly the abilities that he has shown throughout this season at both ends of the ice. Even in the AHL, he also didn’t seem to show any indication that he could be the type of glue guy that makes a top 6 line in the NHL work so well.

Playing with Demidov all season certainly helps his offensive production, but Kapanen’s work ethic and hockey IQ also make it easier for Demidov to connect his passes to him. With that being said, Kapanen deserves more respect and acknowledgement around the league for what he does on the Habs’ 2nd line at just 22 years old.