NHL Player - Kasperi Kapanen

BrannigansLaw

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Sep 3, 2006
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I think Kapanen will top out as a tweener 2nd/3rd liner.

What I like the most about him is his ability to come up big when it really counts (WJC golden goal, Pitts tying goal, Game 2 tying and OT goal ). Just for that alone, I want to keep him around.
 

zeke

The Dube Abides
Mar 14, 2005
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One off a defensemen foot and one knocked in by defence stick?.....as long as the app d-men keep scoring for him he will be fine.

super fast and skilled kappy causing havoc in front of the net and willingness to go to the dirty areas is a big reason why he's such a great prospect.
 

thewave

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Jun 17, 2011
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Kadri doesn't really play a speed game though, I feel like he does better when he has heavier wingers like Leivo/Komarov/Hyman to go on long cycles with.

He has always been that way. Kadri needs physical wingers that play at about his speed and are good in the corners and along the wall. No question.
 

firstemperor

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May 25, 2011
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Kapanen has top 6 upside. He's a good compliment to almost any center because he can do everything well, play a workmans game, play a speed/transition game, can playmake/shoot.

I think he's the perfect modern age winger you want in hockey in today's game......well-rounded, fast, and a swiss-army knife of sorts.

Particularly, we need more wingers to supplement a guy like Kadri....who's game fits better as a C than a winger. Kadri's weaknesses are that he struggles to pick up speed past the red line. With how the game is heavily predicated on carrying the puck past the red line...guys like Kapanen, Johnsson are perfect compliments to his game. Though I still ultimately prefer Kapanen next to Nylander up the middle if that is indeed the long term goal.
 

as Pure as Evil

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Sep 18, 2011
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i think the real question that needs to be asked at this point. is how fast is this kid. they showed Hoffman getting up to 45kmh. with the way Kap pulls away from everyone hes got to be pretty close to that
 

WestCoastLeafs

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Jun 10, 2013
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I would like to see him and Brown switch spots. With his speed he can do enough good things up ice to keep the puck out of the d-zone where that line always get trapped. He also looks to have some good playmaking skills that are being wasted right now but Bozak&JVR would do better there. But

first we need to find a better centre for the fourth line, Kappy is kind of carrying that line right now.
 

Walshy7

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Sep 18, 2016
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Toronto
Apparently they’re very close friends too

they used to live together last season, not sure if its still the case. In the summer Kapanen was photographed playing volleyball with Will, alex and Michael too. They also have great chemistry on the ice too they played together the season willy was in the A playing C if I remember correctly
 
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kk87

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Feb 12, 2015
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Really impressed with him so far - can't wait to see what he can do once he's moved higher up the lineup. I'd love to see Marleau-Nylander-Kapanen as a sheltered scoring line next year.

Hyman-Matthews-Marner
Marleau-Nylander-Kapanen
(Leivo/Soshnikov/Johnsson)-Kadri-Brown
 

Walshy7

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Sep 18, 2016
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Toronto
Great young player. I do think he can sometimes be tunnel-visioned though.

I wonder if maybe that has to do with linemates, he has only ever played 4th line on the leafs. Id prefer he went in on his own that waste time passing to Komarov. His assists rate (not the best judge of vision I know) are average/above average in the AHL
 

PhiladelphiaKessel

DontCrossthe****Line
Aug 9, 2010
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Let’s temper our expectations a bit guys. He’s played really well in his checking 4th line role.

He has 6 points in 30 career games.

Your contradicting yourself in the same sentence. He's playing a 4th line checking role so why do points matter? He hasn't been put in a position to rack up the points
 

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Your contradicting yourself in the same sentence. He's playing a 4th line checking role so why do points matter? He hasn't been put in a position to rack up the points
They matter in this situation because some posters seem to think he can play Top 6 or replace Nylander (once moved to C) without any issues.

My point still stands, he’s been good, but it won’t be that easy.
 

Walshy7

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Sep 18, 2016
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I wouldnt mind seeing him with Matthews AND Nylander this year. So fast he can win the loose pucks just by getting there first

Can do hymans job imo, where Hyman will hit a guy who beats him to the corner Kapanen will just always be first int he corner due to speed. Very good defensively (like Hyman) Kapanen has more skill and speed while Hyman has the physicality and 100% effort 100% of the time. I’d love to see Kapanen-matthews-nylander so much and I don’t think they’d lose much of anything in the change of Kapanen for Hyman
 

TheProspector

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Oct 18, 2007
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Orlando
Kapanen's 1.26 ES P1/60 puts him right in line with Marner (1.34), Kadri (1.21), Bozak (1.21), and has done that with the 3rd toughest deployment on the team (36% ZSR -- only tougher usage is Komarov, and Gauthier). He's got the highest xGF% on the team, takes no penalties (who needs to when you're so fast?), and is on for the 2nd lowest unblocked shot attempt rate on the team. He has the lowest on-ice xGA/60 on the team.

The emergence of Dermott and Kapanen is seriously exciting, and although it's mostly expected if you used numerical analysis on their careers up to this point, it's working out really, really well for us.
 
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supermann_98

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May 8, 2002
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He’s showing me more on limited 4th line and PK minutes than Brown has showed me all year, too bad Babs would never make that switch and put him on a scoring line, unless someone got hurt.
Even then he’d probably promote Leo first
 

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