Oliver Kapanen.
Not necessarily a prospect that many Habs fans had breaking out as soon as this season.
But Kapanen clearly didn't need any introduction, essentially introducing himself to the show with an impressive 37-point season, one that included 22 goals and that came off the heels of a two-point performance through 18 games played with the Montreal Canadiens during the previous season.
It was a tale of two seasons for Kapanen when it came to point-scoring
Four of the first seven games of the regular season saw Kapanen record a goal, with the fast start giving head coach Martin St Louis enough confidence to keep him in the lineup. He would add an additional three points before the end of October and a total of three multi-point games before the end of 2025.
Through the 2025 portion of the schedule, Kapanen had a total of 11 goals and 9 assists for 20 points. Though Kapanen would score 11 goals from the start of January through to the end of the season, five of those goals came in the early portion of the month. Kapanen also closed the 2025-26 campaign on a 10-game point-less streak.
Outside of his mostly-up-but-also-down point-scoring record, Kapanen's numbers are quite decent. He recorded a +/- rating of +4 while also averaging 15 minutes of ice time a game.
Kapanen only played in seven postseason games after playing in all 82 regular-season contests. He contested the first four games against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres, and the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes. Kapanen failed to register a point while recording just three shots on goal. At the same time, Kapanen cracked 10 minutes of ice time in just two of the seven postseason games that he played.
Oliver Kapanen's 2025-26 season grade: B
Kapanen might not have put together the same kind of season that Demidov did, but he was nonetheless able to make an impact in his own way. Add on defenseman Lane Hutson, and you have a generation of Habs stars that will persist even when the likes of Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield eventually leave the roster.
Though Kapanen's point totals could have been considerably higher, a near-40-point season is a decent foundation for one's first full NHL season. It will be intriguing to see how Kapanen improves for next season, but considering that, alongside the fact that he will have one more season before hitting restricted free agency certainly makes him a Habs player to watch during the 2026-27 campaign.
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