Montreal Canadiens fans were devastated when the front office sent Oliver Kapanen back to Timra IK in the SHL instead of keeping him in the NHL. It was an easy decision for the Canadiens once players started to get healthy, as there weren't many roster positions available. Kapanen had a clause in his contract that required him to return to Sweden instead of being sent to the Laval Rocket.
Kapanen didn't have a terrible 12-game tenure with the Canadiens, but it wasn't productive enough with just two assists. The coaching staff did learn some things about Kapanen, mainly that he could be a productive center for the team under the right circumstances. One has to wonder if he could've stayed full-time with the team if they found a way to trade Christian Dvorak.
Olli Jokinen, head coach of Timra IK, knew there was a first-line spot on his roster for Kapanen if the Canadiens wanted to return him to Sweden. He was likely the most happy person in the hockey world when Kent Hughes decided to complete the transaction and immediately inserted Kapanen into his lineup.
Kapanen has had a successful nine-game tenure with Timra IK. He averaged a little over half a point per game in his 2023-24 season with KalPa in Liiga, but Timra would be a slight step up in competition. Kapanen has shown no signs of being unable to play against stiffer competition, as he recorded three goals and five assists over his first nine games.
He is currently playing in an international tournament for Finland against Switzerland, Sweden, and the Czech Republic. He has no points over the first three games but went into the international break with three goals over his final two games with Timra. Kapanen will likely play with Finland again at the World Championships, which will be more seasoning against the world's best competition.
Will this be Kapanen's lone season in Sweden? It would make sense for the Canadiens to utilize him full-time starting in 2025-26. Dvorak, Joel Armia, Jake Evans, and Michael Pezzetta are on expiring UFA contracts. The Canadiens should retain Evans, but the rest will likely depart to make room for Kapanen, Ivan Demidov, and any graduating Laval Rocket players.
For the time being, it looks like it was the right decision to give Kapanen some time to hone his craft among professionals in Europe.