Oliver Kapanen: Jeff Gorton praises a trait for which he is often criticized

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Oliver Kapanen: Jeff Gorton praises a trait for which he is often criticized
Credit: Chris Tanouye/Getty Images

Oliver Kapanen had a 2025-26 season that was quite… unusual. The Finnish player held his own at center on the second line for much of the season, but he completely ran out of steam toward the end of the campaign.

His tally of 22 goals and 37 points in 82 games isn't bad, but the road to getting there wasn't exactly smooth sailing.

The fact that he played alongside Ivan Demidov also means that, in the eyes of many, this production should be taken with a grain of salt. The Russian often did the heavy lifting to help Kapanen, who went through stretches where he didn't have to do much.

But Jeff Gorton sees things a little differently: the fact that Kapanen excelled alongside Demidov demonstrates above all that he's a smart player who knows how to position himself well on the ice—not a reason to downplay his production.

Gorton isn't ready to say that Kapanen is the long-awaited second-line center… but he wants to give him a chance.

Gorton took the opportunity to praise Kapanen's qualities, describing him as a player with a high hockey IQ who is also capable of being solid defensively. And in his view, a 30-goal season would likely make Kapanen a player who could be labeled a second-line center.

And that's true even if he reaches that mark with Demidov's help.

Gorton also noted that he's aware a player like Michael Hage could shake things up upon his arrival. But as things stand, he says he's confident with Kapanen at center on the second line, and he affirms that this sentiment is shared by the organization.

Obviously, he wasn't going to speak ill of his own player. But it's still interesting to see that the main criticism of Kapanen—the fact that his production depends on Demidov's brilliance—was actually praised by Gorton: we'll see if the experiment proves successful again this season.


In a Nutshell

– Hehe.

– Two scouts at the Bell Centre tonight.

– Interesting.

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