Oliver Kapanen eligible to play in the American League this season

Oliver Kapanen arrived at the Habs' training camp with one goal in mind: to make the club.

He succeeded in his mission after impressing the Habs' management and coaching staff.

All indications are that he won't be in uniform tonight for the first game of the season, but we can expect to see him play his first NHL game soon.

That said, when we talked about the possibility of Kapanen carving out a place for himself with the Habs in recent weeks, we were also talking about the possibility of the Habs sending him back to Europe.

Because that's what everyone was saying: for him, it was only the NHL or Sweden this season.

But a little digging reveals that Kapanen is indeed eligible to play in the AHL at some point during the 24-25 campaign.

The Habs will have the option of sending him down (not to Sweden) if they keep him on the official 23-man roster for 60 days.

Hats off to the Twitter account by the name of Jean-François C. (MtlfanSakic) for finding the information:

Olivier Kapanen could be eligible to be placed in the AHL this season. Kapanen needs to be on the roster until Dec 7.

A retained player can be placed in the AHL without being offered first to his IIHF team if the player spent at least 60 days on the active roster. pic.twitter.com/4dsX7KTQZx

– Jean-Francois C. (@MtlfanSakic) October 8, 2024

In the end, it's as if the Habs had a two-month trial period with the Finnish forward.

Kapanen will have the opportunity to play a few games between now and then, and if the Habs find it better to send him to Europe for development, the option will be on the table.

That said, you have to wonder if this explains a bit why the Habs decided to keep him in town to start the season.

Kapanen has done enough to earn his place, but I'm thinking that maybe there's a world out there where management wants to make sure they have control over his progress… Because in Europe, you never know how things might turn out for a youngster.

The environment can be bad, the team's performance on the ice can have an impact on a player's development… A bit like we saw with David Reinbacher last season.

And I find it hard to believe that Kent Hughes and his assistants want to relive a scenario like that, especially with a youngster with good potential like Kapanen.

Overtime

– Lane Hutson is excited!

#Habs Lane Hutson says while tonight's won't be his #NHL debut, playing in a season opener is a different beast and he's really excited.

– Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) October 9, 2024