Oliver Kapanen: Keep an eye on the Blues

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Oliver Kapanen: Keep an eye on the Blues
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

Are we expecting to see the CH make a big move between now and Friday? No.

But can we say with certainty that the Canadiens won't make a big trade this week that will shake the very foundations of the temple?

We can't say for sure.

The fact remains that the Blues are among the teams that have put several of their players on the trading block. And the CH has always wanted to dance the Blues…

What would it take to get a Robert Thomas, for example?

Eric Engels addressed the subject in an article on the Sportsnet website. And even though he doesn't say outright that the Habs will go after him, he did discuss several possibilities for building a potential trade. And Oliver Kapanen, along with other prospects, is one of them.

Engels says he is unable to place certain players (Michael Hage, Alexander Zharovsky, Adam Engstrom, David Reinbacher, and Oliver Kapanen) on the untouchables list. He named several prospects on his list, but not Jacob Fowler.

Should we draw conclusions from this? Or are the Blues just not looking for a gatekeeper, and is all this circumstantial?

I really like Kapanen's development. But in reality, we agree that his start to the season was potentially a case of a guy playing above his head.

If I had to trade the Finn to get Thomas, who is a true second-line center in the NHL and would be a good backup for Juraj Slafkovsky and/or Ivan Demidov, I would do it.

This season, the Blues player has 35 points in 43 games. In the past, he has had seasons with 81 and 86 points, which would make him a perfect complement behind Nick Suzuki in the center hierarchy. He earns $8.125 million per year until 2031 and controls his destiny via a no-trade clause. He is likely to be traded (at a good price) this week, and the Habs are in the running. We just don't know how realistic a trade really is in Quebec… Speaking of the devil.

– What do you think?

Good question.

— To be continued.

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