Regular-season goals with the CH: Oliver Kapanen has already tied Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Oliver Kapanen is having a strong rookie season with the Canadiens. Despite finding himself in the center position on the second line somewhat by default, he has managed to score 22 goals and 37 points in 73 games since the start of the season.

For a 22-year-old who isn't really viewed as a true second-line center, 22 goals is an impressive tally.

And in fact, there are some interesting comparisons to consider. Among them, it's worth comparing Kapanen with another Finnish center who recently played for Montreal: Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

And what stands out is that, in terms of regular-season goals in a Habs uniform, Kapanen has already matched the number of goals scored by KK.

It's worth noting that Kapanen needed only 91 games to do so… while Kotkaniemi did it in 171 games.

Oliver Kapanen now has as many goals in his @CanadiensMTL career as Jesperi Kotkaniemi had. #habs

— Wilf (@Wilf4HOF) March 29, 2026

Of course, it's important to remember that Kotkaniemi was younger than Kapanen at the time those games were played and didn't have a winger of Ivan Demidov's caliber (and, for a time, Juraj Slafkovský) on his line. These are factors that, in fact, may explain a significant part of the difference.

That said, while Kotkaniemi was a third-round pick overall, Kapanen was drafted 64th overall. While Kapanen arrived more mature and ready, KK arrived with a certain prestige tied to his draft position.

It's also worth noting that both players averaged nearly identical ice time in a Habs jersey (13:57 for Kapanen, 13:56 for Kotkaniemi). It's therefore quite impressive to see how many fewer games Kapanen needed than KK to score 22 goals in a Habs jersey.

We know, however, that Kotkaniemi, despite his flaws, is a guy who was capable of stepping up in the playoffs and scoring big goals. Let's see if Kapanen will also be able to do so in the coming years.

In brief

– Italy fails to qualify for the next World Cup.

Haiti, Cape Verde, and Curaçao will be at the World Cup, but not Italy.

1. My thoughts are with all my Italian friends. #Curse

2. I think the qualifying format may need to be revised eventually.

3. The World Cup opening match won't have the same prestige.

— Maxime Truman (@MaximeTruman) March 31, 2026

– Interesting.

Nick Kypreos: Alex Ovechkin has kept his cards very close to the vest; What I've heard is that he's never been interested in a farewell tour; Ovechkin liked the way Gretzky did it…announcing two days before his last regular-season game – Sportsnet (3/30)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) March 31, 2026

– Sad news for the Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays have four starting pitchers who are injured. https://t.co/SZxjitTb8a

— Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) March 31, 2026