When thinking about top prospects in the Montreal Canadiens organization, Oliver Kapanen isn't a name you normally hear. However, Kapanen is a prospect that will likely make an impact at the NHL level.
Who is Oliver Kapanen? Oliver is the nephew of former NHL veteran Sami Kapanen and is the cousin of Kasperi Kapanen. Oliver plays a defensive-minded game and is a player that has recognizable skills offensively.
The Montreal Canadiens originally drafted the Finnish forward during the 2021 NHL Draft. The Habs used the 64th overall selection in the second round to select Kapanen.
Kapanen is a player that can play a big role on any team. He is a defensively minded forward who plays well in his own zone. He is reliable at the faceoff dot and is a penalty kill specialist. For example, while playing for Team Finland at the 2022 IIHF WJC, he led Finnish forwards in ice-time on the PK.
The Habs forward is a player that recognizes the need to play a strong defensive game. He back-checks well and has good stick positioning. He is an elusive player who has a solid stride.
Offensively, Kapanen doesn't have the most elite skills, unlike his cousin Kasperi. But he does play a strong, mobile offensive game. He has a decent shot and is a player that menovers well in the offensive zone and in tight spaces. He is more of a playmaker than a finisher. It is projected that Kapanen will play a bottom-six role in the National Hockey League one day.
This season, Kapanen played in the Finnish Liiga, for Karpat and Kalpa. He played in 18 games and recorded four points. Kapanen also represented Finland at the 2022 WJC, where he and Finland won a silver medal.
The Habs will likely loan the forward back out to Finland for the upcoming season. Habs fans should be excited about this high-floor, low-risk player.