Last night, Edmonton Oilers forward Kasperi Kapanen made his return to the lineup after an extended injury absence. That absence included a setback at practice, when he was on the verge of returning initially. But now, fully healthy and ready to go, he replaced Andrew Mangiapane in the Oilers’ game-day lineup.
Possibly due to his injury, or just simply otherwise, Kapanen was left off of Team Finland’s roster for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Interestingly, his cousin Oliver, a second-year NHLer, did make the cut. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting decision given how long Kasperi has been in the league for.
Is there a chance Kapanen can still join his cousin at the Olympics? There is, although it’s not the way a player prefers to make the team. Let’s explore the case for why Kapanen should be the first fill-in if a Finnish forward is unable to go due to injury.
Kasperi Kapanen has been a national-team hero before
Ten years ago, Finland hosted the 2016 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships in the nation’s capital, Helsinki. That 2016 World Juniors team for the Finns was heavily stacked; maybe not to the same level as 2005 Team Canada, but still elite. Fourteen different players from that team would play at least one NHL game each. Moreover, some of the names on that roster included Sebastian Aho, Roope Hintz, and Mikko Rantanen.
The roster also contained two players who would go on to be Edmonton Oilers. Jesse Puljujarvi, of course, was drafted in the summer of that same year by Edmonton. The other was none other than Kapanen. The son of former NHLer Sami Kapanen, Kasperi would come alive in the later parts of the tournament. He would notch a pair of assists in Finland’s semi-final a win, and then call game on the tourney, electrifying the Helsinki crowd with a “golden goal.” The Finnish broadcast is included too, because this observer cannot stop hearing “KAPANEN! KAPANEEEEEENNNNN!” in their mind.
A major moment like that etches you in your nation’s lore forever. And in overtime of a gold-medal game, especially early on, only your best players are out there. Kapanen still has the talent that led to this goal, and we’ll detail other key moments of his career later on. But even for how talented the Finns are already, they could end up needing a hero. They’ve got one able, ready, and with the experience of having done it before, that they could bring along.
Bet like a pro here with Bet99—Ontario’s go-to for elite odds and nonstop action. And outside Ontario, Canadians bet better here with Bet99—bringing top-tier odds and action from coast to coast.
He’s been one of the best wingers for Leon Draisaitl, out of many
One major issue for the Oilers over the past decade has been finding suitable wingers for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. In recent years, they’ve at least realized that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman fit well with McDavid. But that has still, before last year, left a void on Draisaitl’s flanks.
Before last season was when the tides started to change, as Edmonton acquired Vasily Podkolzin from Vancouver via trade. Since then, Podkolzin has played various roles in the lineup, but most commonly has been spotted on Draisaitl’s wing. When Kapanen joined the Oilers midseason, he soon joined their line. And their results when playing together during the playoffs were undeniable.
Should Draisaitl win the Selke Trophy this season, Podkolzin and Kapanen would be huge contributors in that regard. The fact that Kapanen has played so well with one of the NHL’s best centremen would go a long way for his Team Finland case. Imagine him being the workhorse linemate that Rantanen needs. He’s proven he’s capable, now.
His NHL career contains multiple clutch moments
Kapanen was originally a draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins, going 22nd overall in the 2014 NHL Draft. Just one year later, he was dealt to Toronto in the blockbuster Phil Kessel trade. And only a year after scoring the “golden goal” in Helsinki, Kapanen would create his first major NHL moment.
His double-overtime winner in Game 2 of the Maple Leafs‘ first-round series helped them make it a competitive series, even if a series loss was ultimately the end result. Even if he wouldn’t have similar magic when traded back to Pittsburgh in 2020, that was still a feather in his cap. In fact, he also wouldn’t have the same magic with the St. Louis Blues later on.
After arriving in Edmonton after being claimed off waivers, nobody was expecting him to be similarly impactful as his Toronto days. Yet, not only did he come up with another playoff OT winner, he did so to end a series last year. How did he do it? Strong forechecking, vision, and awareness.
Those have long been the Kapanen hallmarks. A strong forechecker with high hockey IQ, and the vision to make plays not many others can. Especially with a slightly smaller-than-normal sheet of ice in Milan, that kind of tenacity will be sorely needed.
As a bonus, new-dad strength could come into play
The Sportsnet broadcast last night mentioned that, Olympics aside, a major life moment awaits Kapanen next month. He and his wife are expecting a child in the first week of February. The likely due date is February 6, right after the Oilers’ last Battle of Alberta game of the season and right before the Olympics.
There’s been plenty of examples of NHL players and other pro athletes playing even stronger following the birth of their kid. It might already be happening, after Kapanen scored in his return last night. A dad-mode Kapanen at the Olympic would have the potential to be an absolute force of nature. We all would so dearly want to see that.
One Comment