Oliver Kapanen is hitting the right notes
With the Montreal Canadiens have kept Oliver Kapanen around, the rookie is soaking it all in.
The Montreal Canadiens have a pretty solid Calder class on the current roster, with the likes of Emil Heineman, Lane Hutson and Oliver Kapanen.
Kapanen doesn't garner as much attention as the other two, but especially Hutson, who is in the conversation for early Calder Trophy favourite. The Finnish centre made the Canadiens out of training camp, primarily because he makes the right decision with the puck consistently. He is the type of player that you don't have a problem putting over the boards in any situation because he makes the coach's life easier.
it is certainly very cool for the rookie to be living his dream, and if he doesn't stick it out for the entire season, he has done plenty to show he isn't far from a full-time NHL player. Sure he could put on some more muscle and get a little faster. But the tangible skills are there, he thinks the game quickly, puts the puck in good areas for his teammates, and positionally he has great awareness.
“Something is going well if they’re keeping me on the (Habs) roster. I wanna keep it that way. I’m enjoying the game at the moment…so far so good.”
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) October 14, 2024
“It’s been my dream…I’m just living in the moment, playing in the NHL, it’s pretty cool.”
- Oliver Kapanen today pic.twitter.com/vebUb4Wpsd
Kapanen has NHL bloodlines, but he is paving his own path to the league, writing his own script. It would be an understatement to say it's going well, because if it weren't he would be in Laval or back in Finland. His first NHL goal has evaded him thus far, but I expect with his solid play, it should be on the horizon.
You haven't heard his name
Generally, if you hear a player's name it can be a good thing, meaning they did something well or hit the scoresheet. But in Kapanen's case, there hasn't been much noise surrounding him. This isn't necessarily bad, because it has more to do with the fact that he has played a calm and steady game.
I wouldn't say that he made the team to fill the net or be a big time playmaker, at least not yet. But the fact that he is still in the lineup, despite not producing much offensively goes to show why he is still playing. Kapanen plays a smart game, and he doesn't make decisions that harm his team.
This is exactly why he has been in the lineup, and will likely continue to be. He doesn't do anything that harms the team or puts him in St. Louis's doghouse, instead he just plays a consistently responsible game. He has demonstrated all the right things to do to stay in the NHL.
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