Oliver Kapanen has not scored a single point in his last 10 games

Raphael Simard
Oliver Kapanen has not scored a single point in his last 10 games
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

Oliver Kapanen had a solid rookie season, given the circumstances.

He finished the season with 37 points in 82 games, including 22 goals. The Finn ranked third among rookie scorers, one goal behind Beckett Sennecke and Matthew Schaefer and tied for the lead.

But by the end of the season, he ran out of steam. He didn't record a point in his last 10 games.

It's a bit unfair to judge him, because everyone knows he's not a second-line center. He was moved there by default because the Habs didn't have any better options.

At best, he's a third-line center on a championship-caliber team, and while he had a strong start to the season, he's slowed down in recent months. Martin St-Louis did a good job of shielding the second line all season against opposing top lines.

But the reality is clear: he's not the one who can set up Ivan Demidov, who finished his own rookie season with 62 points. Imagine if the Russian had a real center. Maybe he would have averaged a point per game—you never know…

Kapanen has had his share of struggles, but he has his strengths. He plays well on the penalty kill and is a responsible player across the ice. Next year, I don't expect him to beat his point total from this season, but I do expect a better season from him, as he should be in the right role.

Even though he's lost his touch, Kapanen believes it will eventually come back. The Habs' playoffs begin Sunday, and he'll have a chance to regain some confidence ahead of the long-awaited series.


In a nutshell

– Oh, really.

– Must-read.

– Wow.

– Too bad.

– Good for him.

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