Oliver Kapanen is having his way with the SHL

The Montreal Canadiens forward group isn't scratching the surface of their potential, and the fact that Oliver Kapanen's name isn't often discussed attests to that.

Kapanen played 12 games with the Canadiens, registering his first two National Hockey League points, after he was a standout during training camp. While he played well, Habs management felt he would benefit from going to the SHL to further his development. I think Kapanen is an intelligent player and is self-aware of what he needs to improve.

However, that likely didn't deter head coach Martin St Louis from sending Kapanen to Sweden with a list of things to focus on. Marty is communicative, and Montreal's management group - Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton have been involved closely with their prospect's development. Kapanen's skating and hockey sense are the fuel that lights the flame.

For his skating to stand out on the larger European ice, I think, it's a real sign of just how far along Kapanen's skating has been coming along since the start of the 2024-2025 season. Grant McCagg, writer for the Sick Podcast network, noted that Kapanen is one of seven players averaging a point-per-game season. His confidence with the puck has shown significant improvement, serving as a nice complement to his strong defensive play.

I think that the Canadiens will gain a significant upgrade on Christian Dvorak when Kapanen arrives at camp in September. I believe that his (Dvorak) time with the Canadiens has a limited shelf life remaining. This spells out an opportunity for a bottom-six centre role, and Kapanen seems to be dominating the race for that position.

Time will tell many things, but most importantly how much Kapanen's game will continue to climb before his season ends. I think that he would be an upgrade on Dvorak right now, but that's not for me to decide. I do, however, understand the benefits that playing in the SHL first will provide for the player.

The early results of spending his season overseas, have been downright impressive. Kapanen is averaging a point-per-game, with 21 points (10 goals & 11 assists) through 21 games. Looking like one of the best players in the league, after playing just 21 games in that league is quite an impressive achievement for the Sundsvall, Sweden., native.

Let's take a moment to admire Lane Hutson

Since the calendar flipped to January, the Canadiens have played 12 games, and rookie defenseman Lane Hutson has scored 13 points. Hutson was also riding a nine-game point streak before the Patrick Kane'less Detroit Red Wings held him off the scoresheet. He currently leads the rookie scoring race and has a point in nine of 12 games this month.

I think the schedule and adjusting to the frequency that the team plays has caught up to Hutson recently. Before this season, Hutson played 38 and 39 over his two-season NCAA career, with the majority of the games on the weekend. Hutson has already played 49 games this season, so understandably he needed some rest.

I'm convinced that Hutson still has plenty of tricks up his sleeve, and the Canadiens having two days off between games should do him good. With the team riding a two-game losing streak, and the top line playing well, they could use Hutson's help. It's crazy to think that with less than 82 games under his belt, he is already an integral piece on the Habs blueline, and for the teams' offense.

But that is exactly the case, and this Habs team is loading up with some very talented young players to complement and add to the core. Hutson is one of a very strong group of under-23 players, and the Canadiens have four picks in the top two rounds of the 2025 NHL Draft. Two of those selections will come during the first round.

It's safe to say that the Habs are building for the future, and what's happening right now is just a bonus. I don't mean the two-game losing streak, but the Canadiens play before that, and their crawl up the Eastern Conference standings. Montreal put together a mightily impressive stretch of hockey, and aside from this hiccup, they have looked the part of a playoff team.

The second-best team in the NHL, the Winnipeg Jets will be visiting the Bell Centre on Tuesday night, which should be a great test for the Habs. To be the best, winning games against any team at the top of the league standings is a tremendous confidence booster. Martin St Louis runs a tight ship, though he is learning on the fly, and a true test of the teams' strength will be how they bounce back from their latest humbling setback.