Montreal Canadiens prospect Oliver Kapanen has inked a deal with Timra IK in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), set to run until the 2025-26 season. This move was widely anticipated, given that his father, Kimmo Kapanen, is the team’s current general manager. Transitioning from Finland’s Liiga to the SHL promises stiffer competition for the 20-year-old center, along with a higher caliber of teammates.
Kapanen wraps up his Liiga tenure with 27 goals and 38 assists in 124 games for Kalpa. Notably, his performance notably improved towards the end of the final season and in the playoffs. This season, he recorded 14 goals and 20 assists in 51 games, a slight uptick from the 27 points he amassed in 55 games the previous year. Drafted in the second round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, an upsurge in production was expected.
His standout performance for Kalpa in this season’s playoffs, maintaining a point-per-game pace with seven goals and seven assists in 13 games, caught attention.
Varmt välkommen till Timrå IK – Oliver Kapanen!
VM-aktuella tvåvägscentern Oliver Kapanen ansluter till Timrå IK från KalPa inför kommande säsong – Avtalet sträcker sig två år. Varmt välkommen till hela Medelpads förening Oliver!#timraikhttps://t.co/RCKJBqI9gZ
— Timrå IK (@timra_ik) May 9, 2024
Although Kapanen is likely to stay in Europe, the Canadiens can still secure him on an entry-level NHL contract. Sportbladet reports that the Habs plan to sign the defensively sound forward this summer. Timra IK anticipates that Kapanen will be loaned to them, effectively barring him from playing in the AHL with the Laval Rocket. Nonetheless, Kapanen remains eligible to attend the upcoming training camp, where he could vie for a roster spot in the NHL, though this outcome seems improbable.
🔥 Tulikuuma Ovo!
🚨 Loistava viimeistely – samalla syntyy tämän playoffs-kevään kuudes tehopiste!
📽️ MTV Katsomo+ | @MTVUrheilu#KalPa #Liiga #Kuopio #KalevanPallo pic.twitter.com/CgkY39FHIU
— KalPa (@KalPa_Hockey) March 21, 2024
His situation mirrors that of Emil Heineman, who transitioned to North America via Leksands IF in the SHL. Considering his recent scoring surge, the move to the SHL aligns perfectly with Kapanen’s development. While he possesses the talent for the AHL, he is likely to receive more playing time with Timra IK than he would have with the Laval Rocket.
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