Pros & Cons Of Canadiens Plucking Kapanen Off Waivers

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen has been made available on waivers, but claiming him may not be the best idea for the Montreal Canadiens.

It’s an interesting name to find on the waiver wire at this time of the year, as Kapanen has had a lot of success in the past as a middle-six winger.

Originally drafted by the Penguins in 2014, Kapanen had his best season playing alongside Auston Matthews with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2018-2019, putting up 20 goals and 24 assists for 44 points in 78 games.

He was traded the following season to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2020 1st-round pick and, after a good start to his second tenure in Pittsburgh, began to fall down the depth chart.

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Unfortunately for Kapanen, the Penguins want to redesign their bottom six at this time to better prepare themselves for the playoffs, and his salary was a major impediment to that goal.

He is an interesting player that fits the mould of Montreal’s desired style, but other factors make the likelihood of the Montreal Canadiens claiming him relatively low.

Pros

Kasperi Kapanen has been good value for his cap hit so far this season, but the Pittsburgh Penguins are simply just too tight against the salary cap and desperately need to create some space.

It’s not that his production has been inadequate; it’s more of a stylistic issue in his game that doesn’t fit with the type of game general manager Ron Hextall would like his team to play.

However, he plays a fast and skilled style that the Canadiens are currently looking to promote within their organization; making him a potential fit as a player.

Kapanen’s seven goals and 13 assists for 20 points in 43 games is pretty much what one could expect for a $3.2M player, but there’s certainly potential for more elsewhere.

The 26-year-old was able to record this respectable point total with only 12.02 of average ice time per game; seeing a significant drop in offensive zone opportunities and power play time.

Despite there being much to like about Kapanen, there are many more aspects to consider on the business side of things.

Cons

Unfortunately, the Montreal Canadiens don’t have much more clarity on their own fiscal situation, due to the many injuries plaguing players like Sean Monahan and Joel Edmundson.

The Canadiens currently only have $3.78M in available cap space, and that’s with Monahan on Long-Term Injury Reserve.

Kapanen could be an interesting buy-low candidate for the Canadiens in a normal situation, but the $3.2M cap hit would also inhibit the Canadiens from having any trade flexibility whatsoever over the next week.

The fact that Kapanen is under contract for another year beyond this season not only makes it unlikely that he’ll be taken by the Canadiens, but any other team in general.

The Boston Bruins had to add a premium in their trade package to the Washington Capitals to have them take on Craig Smith’s expiring contract, worth $3.1M, within the Dimitry Orlov trade, and that’s likely what the Penguins will need to do if they wish to move on from Kapanen before the NHL Trade Deadline.

Should Kapanen still be a member of the Penguins this summer, he could be an interesting reclamation project; where the Canadiens could potentially make a swap with the Penguins.

However, at this time, it simply doesn’t make much sense for the Canadiens.