Oliver Kapanen admits he hit a wall: what he did to adjust

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Oliver Kapanen admits he hit a wall: what he did to adjust
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

Oliver Kapanen admits he hit a wall during the final months of the 2025–2026 season.

That's why, after spending most of the season on the second line, he finished the season either on the bottom two lines or in the stands.

And in the playoffs, he didn't always see ice time.

Kapanen knows, therefore, that he didn't have enough gas in the tank to finish the season up to expectations. And he wants to change that.

In an interview yesterday, he admitted that he's adjusted his summer training regimen so he won't run out of steam in the spring of 2027, when the team will need him.

That's a bit of a vague answer. But the truth is, that's not the only factor that will help the Finnish player be more consistent over an 84-game season—plus the playoffs.

There's also the addition of Chris Kreider to consider, which should help him adjust.

For now, Kreider is on the first line. He's expected to start the season alongside the captain and Cole Caufield, with Juraj Slafkovsky playing with Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen.

Naturally, this will also help Kapanen.

And even if Slaf were to return to the first line, that would surely mean (barring a disaster) that Kreider would move down to the second line.

His experience, his skills on the ice, and his influence on others could help Kapanen improve.

Remember that Martin St-Louis said he wanted a center who wins faceoffs and can effectively complement the play of the guys on the wings.

Kapanen knows what it takes to keep his spot.


In a nutshell

– Great scoop.

– Bills win.

– Well done.

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