The 2024 year was supposed to be different for the Montreal Canadiens. They believed their rebuild was starting to end, and they wondered whether 2024 would end with them looking ahead to a run at the playoffs in 2025. The year ended with a string of wins that elevated them to sixth place in the Atlantic Division, but they are still seven points behind in a playoff race. This series will examine how each player performed over the 2024 calendar year. Next up is Oliver Kapanen.
The Canadiens had plenty of good storylines in 2024, and Oliver Kapanen may have been one of the best. He wasn't really on anyone's radar until the 2024 World Championship, when he was amongst the tournament leaders in scoring, which was a list of NHL stars. Many wondered if Kapanen would attend Montreal's training camp before the 2024-25 season and make some noise after proving he could play with the NHL's best.
Kapanen did so much more than make some noise. He played so well at training camp that the Canadiens had no choice but to give him an opportunity to start the season. A clause in Kapanen's contract stated that the Canadiens would have to return him to Europe instead of the American Hockey League, but the Habs' front office felt confident that he'd be a worthy replacement while Patrik Laine recovered from an injury.
Kapanen was more than a worthy replacement. He turned some heads during his time in Montreal, but only recorded two assists in 12 games. There wasn't a spot for him to play full-time in the top six, and he wasn't getting the most out of playing with some of the team's bottom-six talent. Therefore, the front office sent him back to Sweden to play full-time minutes with Timra IK.
Kapanen's development in Montreal has made him a star for Olli Jokinen's team in Sweden. He has 12 points in 13 games and has already played three games with Finland's national team. Kapanen will get the opportunity to play plenty of minutes in Sweden for the remainder of the year, before coming back to Montreal for the 2025 training camp. One has to wonder if the Canadiens will consider bringing him back if the Swedish Hockey League season ends and Montreal continues winning enough to get into playoff contention.