Tonight versus the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers forward Kasperi Kapanen is set to play in his 500th career NHL game. Although he has only been an Oiler for a short period of time, 500 games in the NHL is a major accomplishment worth celebrating.
Mattias Ekholm will return from illness while Kasperi Kapanen will play his 500th @NHL game against his former team in St. Louis. View the #Oilers projected lineup ⤵️ https://t.co/73mrnCn7qb
— 🤖 Oilers Retweet Bot 🤖 (@oilersretweetbot.bsky.social) 2025-02-04T23:32:29.596151Z
Kapanen’s speed and offensive instincts, combined with his dedication and work ethic, have given him some staying power in the league. He has been a valued member of four organizations now over his career. And if he can keep using his speed and hands in close to score goals like his goal against the Vancouver Canucks earlier this season, he should find a role in the Oilers organization for the foreseeable future as well.
Kasperi Kapanen career to date
Originally drafted by the Pittsburgh in the first round (22nd overall) in the 2014 NHL draft, Kapanen made his NHL debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs one year later in the 2015–16 season. It took nearly three years before he became an NHL regular. In that season, 2018–19, he broke out and made a name for himself in the NHL, setting career highs in goals, assists, and points that stand to this day.
Kapanen played 202 games with the Maple Leafs before being traded back to the Penguins, his draft team, in the summer of 2020. He then spent three seasons and played 162 games in Pittsburgh before being claimed off of waivers by the St. Louis Blues in February, 2023.
After playing 106 games with the Blues, Kapanen found himself on waivers once again, where he was claimed by the Edmonton Oilers. His 30th game in an Oilers uniform tonight is his 500th career game.
