Prospect Info: Kasperi Kapanen | Winger | KalPa (Liiga) | 1st round, 22nd overall

[Big McLargehuge]

Bringing the turtleneck back.

 

[IHWR]

Hull?
Steen?
Howe?
Statsny?
Sutter?

Not what I meant.

In recent years, some prospects see an unwarranted boost in their draft standing based on who their dad or brother is. It's tied into the "old boys" mentality that runs rampant in hockey operations league-wide.

I just don't like taking guys like that typically but from the times I saw Kapanen (mostly last year) he's a solid prospect that was good value at #22. The fact that some teams were considering him as a top 10 pick kinda speaks to what I mentioned in the previous paragraph though.

 

[Burgs]

Playing alongside father and former NHLer Sami Kapanen in KalPa, Kasperi has overcome injury that kept him from competing for Finland at the 2014 World Junior Championship and remains high in the ranks simply because few possess his top-end puck handling ability. His game lacks physicality but his hockey sense, on-ice vision and playmaking skills are unparalleled and in a draft class with few game-breakers, Kapanen will be coveted. When attacking one-on-one, there are few players who are as dangerous as Kapanen.

(link)

Was also the best-ranked prospect left on Bob McKenzie's list at #11.

 

[Captain Hook]

Kid looks a little taller than I thought he'd be.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

When I saw him play as a 16 year-old two things stood out to me - he was the fastest player on the ice and his puck handling was top-notch.

He's not going to be a PPG guy, but I have little doubt that he'll be a consistent 60 point guy.

And he towered over his dad in skates

I need to get back to Kuopio.

 

[Zen Arcade]

I almost can't believe they drafted a skilled winger.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

Shero just threw his remote at the TV and screamed, "No! Roland McKeown!"

 

[Captain Hook]

I almost can't believe they drafted a skilled winger.

And a kid out of a European league in round one. Weird.

 

[Crafton]

the notorious CHL-NHL teenager agreement doesn't apply to him, if they wanted he could start playing for WBS in the fall, right?

 

[MilanKraft*]

I like the pick. Cool name too.

 

[bathroomSTAAL]

Shero just threw his remote at the TV and screamed, "No! Roland McKeown!"

Could have been traded for Justin Williams in 5 years

 

[Burgs]

the notorious CHL-NHL teenager agreement doesn't apply to him, if they wanted he could start playing for WBS in the fall, right?

Yes he could, because he was drafted out of Europe. He does have 2 more years left on his contract with KalPa, though.

 

[zhenyas most fly rep]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvBMFunDeHo

Pros:
- Is ridiculously good skater. Has explosive acceleration and amazing top-speed
- Great puckhandling ablities. Is able to make nasty moves in full speed
- Hard and accurate shot, can finish with deadly wrister and hard one-timer
- Isn't biggest player around but plays physical brand of hockey. Drives to the net with passion and likes to play the body

Cons:
- Needs to bulk up
- Needs to develop his defensive game

Thks.

These are the kind of cons you don't mind reading, nothing that can't be worked on.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

the notorious CHL-NHL teenager agreement doesn't apply to him, if they wanted he could start playing for WBS in the fall, right?

He was never drafted into the CHL, so he would be eligible to play in the AHL next year.

His father is the primary owner of KalPa, so I doubt he'd go to WBS over Kuopio...and it'd be a waste of a ELC year anyway. He'll almost certainly play out the remaining two years on his contract before coming stateside. At that point he may not need a full season in the AHL before coming up.

 

[wej20]

the notorious CHL-NHL teenager agreement doesn't apply to him, if they wanted he could start playing for WBS in the fall, right?

I think it depends on his contract, he many only have an NHL out clause, not an AHL one. His dad is the owner and GM though which helps.

 

[themethod7]

Thks.

These are the kind of cons you don't mind reading, nothing that can't be worked on.

And if he never develops into a true 2-way winger, then oh well - we don't need every forward to be a grit/character/2-way guy, it wouldn't kill us to have a pure flash/speed/offense first type alongside Sid or Geno.

 

[AquaticBirdman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvBMFunDeHo

Pros:
- Is ridiculously good skater. Has explosive acceleration and amazing top-speed
- Great puckhandling ablities. Is able to make nasty moves in full speed
- Hard and accurate shot, can finish with deadly wrister and hard one-timer
- Isn't biggest player around but plays physical brand of hockey. Drives to the net with passion and likes to play the body

Cons:
- Needs to bulk up
- Needs to develop his defensive game

So in other words: He's a Finn

 

[bathroomSTAAL]

So Sami Kapanen is the owner/GM/player? Good for him.

 

[pensfansince88]

good value, and is a forward. makes me feel a little better after that neal trade that our new GM isn't a complete idiot

 

[AquaticBirdman]

The fact that this is Sami Kapanen's kid makes me feel really old right now lol

 

[Crafton]

Yes he could, because he was drafted out of Europe. He does have 2 more years left on his contract with KalPa, though.

He was never drafted into the CHL, so he would be eligible to play in the AHL next year.

His father is the primary owner of KalPa, so I doubt he'd go to WBS over Kuopio...and it'd be a waste of a ELC year anyway. He'll almost certainly play out the remaining two years on his contract before coming stateside. At that point he may not need a full season in the AHL before coming up.

I think it depends on his contract, he many only have an NHL out clause, not an AHL one. His dad is the owner and GM though which helps.

good info. thanks. sounds like an awesome situation with regards to development.

 

[zhenyas most fly rep]

He was consistently ranked as a top-10 pick in basically every mock draft I've seen. He could be a steal. His player style is Patrick Sharp, and he will probably be a 7.5C on HF if I had to guess.

any idea on why he fell a little?

I'm guessing his performance in the last U18 world championship didn't help.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Buy the kid out, bring him to camp. If he can play, play him.

The days of stupid hierarchy and vets over kids should be all over now.

 

[Burgs]

Fun fact, Kapanen lives only about two hours from where Määttä grew up (Kuopio and Jyväskylä, two central Finnish towns in the middle of nowhere). Maybe they will hang out together over the summer at one of those thousand lakes and share draft stories.

 

[Zen Arcade]

The fact that this is Sami Kapanen's kid makes me feel really old right now lol

Haha, no kidding.

I remember his dad as a rookie.