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

[wej20]

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.

he definitely should come to camp but send him back to KalPa if he isn't ready.

 

[AquaticBirdman]

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.

Why rush the kid?

 

[FiLe]

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

For what it's worth, that squad had a truly clueless coach who had no idea how to organize a game and utilize what he had.

I see the Pens don't have plenty players like him waiting in the minors, so he's going to hit a spot for you guys in a year or two.

 

[Burgs]

any idea on why he fell a little?

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

European factor and injuries probably. He would have made the Finnish WJC team at age 17 but suffered a shoulder injury in the final practice session. Ended up missing the tournament and a gold medal.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

Very happy about the pick!

 

[wej20]

Why rush the kid?

True, we need to find the balance of giving young guys a shot but not just rushing them because we need youth on the team.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Haha, no kidding.

I remember his dad as a rookie.

Yep. I also remember him being drafted. Mind you that was the same season, Sami was drafted when he was 21.


Kasperi isn't ready for the NHL, rushing him would be the stupidest thing we could do.

 

[Burgs]

Heh, Kapanen spent a good deal of his childhood around Philadelphia. Here's a Hockey News article with some background and some info on his past season.

Playing for what one NHL scout based in Europe called an “historically bad†KalPa team, Kapanen still managed to shine with a pro demeanor and a nose for the net, even if his seven goals and 14 points in 47 games didn’t exactly pop off the stat sheet. “The season hasn’t been fair to him,†said another NHL Euro scout. “The team hasn’t been good and he doesn’t have a support group.â

 

[Waffle Fries]

I like the pick. Cool name too.

It is a requirement for our wing prospects' names to be alliteration.

 

[Darth Vitale]

For you knuckleheads saying "OMG we should never trade that Pick unless we're getting Jesus on skates!", this is WHY it doesn't matter what you trade a 20+ pick in the 1st round (not that much anyway). This kid is a long-shot to become a skill player in this league IMO. MUCH better to give the pick away and get a proven player, even if you have to give another decent asset to do it. The only time that's not true is when drafting in the top 10 or the player coming back is older.

And WTF is it with Penguins Scouts drafting former players' sons... as if they will magically inherit all the father's skills and success?


Heyyyyy... didn't Kapanen play for... yah, that's right. Rutherford you're having a banner ****ing day my friend.

Good job, Dave!

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Why rush the kid?

Why is it rushing? He's a first-round pick playing a position of need, and he has already played a season in one of the top men's leagues in Europe. If he's ready, it wouldn't be rushing anything.

If he looks good in camp, give him nine games and take it from there.

 

[Jacob]

For you knuckleheads saying "OMG we should never trade that Pick unless we're getting Jesus on skates!", this is WHY it doesn't matter what you trade a 20+ pick in the 1st round (not that much anyway). This kid is a long-shot to become a skill player in this league IMO. MUCH better to give the pick away and get a proven player, even if you have to give another decent asset to do it. The only time that's not true is when drafting in the top 10 or the player coming back is older.

And WTF is it with Penguins Scouts drafting former players' sons... as if they will magically inherit all the father's skills and success?

All teams do it, because players kids are often pretty good hockey players themselves. Imagine that.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

For you knuckleheads saying "OMG we should never trade that Pick unless we're getting Jesus on skates!", this is WHY it doesn't matter what you trade a 20+ pick in the 1st round (not that much anyway). This kid is a long-shot to become a skill player in this league IMO. MUCH better to give the pick away and get a proven player, even if you have to give another decent asset to do it. The only time that's not true is when drafting in the top 10 or the player coming back is older.

And WTF is it with Penguins Scouts drafting former players' sons... as if they will magically inherit all the father's skills and success? This organization gets more joke-like by the year.

What are you babbling about? Kapanen was the 10th-best prospect according to The Hockey News. He was the BPA according to McKenzie. He has plenty of skill and should definitely be a top sixer...or top nine if we are really deep on offense under Johnston, which is what I hope happens.

We hit a home run.

 

[skullman80]

He's not ready though. He's 17. He is 2 years away or so probably at least. Of course see what he has in camp, but this isn't the NFL, unless you are picking top 5, for the most part, you aren't getting a player ready to step in at the NHL level year 1.

There are exceptions though(Maata last year), but they don't happen often.

I know we need wingers, but there is no reason to put unnatural expectations on this kid.

 

[Darth Vitale]

All teams do it, because players kids are often pretty good hockey players themselves. Imagine that.

We seem to do it more often, but I don't believe there is any transitive property that makes ex-players' sons good players. That part is mostly coincidence once you get to this level. Not surprising their sons would be the best players in local leagues and kiddy leagues. Once you get to professional hockey, it shouldn't even be a consideration unless you think it's some kind of character thing where the other players have less of it.

What are you babbling about? Kapanen was the 10th-best prospect according to The Hockey News. He was the BPA according to McKenzie.

See also: weak draft. His numbers, in a Euro league, pretty much spell it out. He's about as much a crap shoot as any other player taken in rounds 2 or 3, in most drafts from what I can see. Also I wager he's soff. I'm less saying he was a bad pick than, it just doesn't matter that much when you trade away the pick that ends up being this kid... in return for a proven player.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

For you knuckleheads saying "OMG we should never trade that Pick unless we're getting Jesus on skates!", this is WHY it doesn't matter what you trade a 20+ pick in the 1st round (not that much anyway). This kid is a long-shot to become a skill player in this league IMO. MUCH better to give the pick away and get a proven player, even if you have to give another decent asset to do it. The only time that's not true is when drafting in the top 10 or the player coming back is older.

And WTF is it with Penguins Scouts drafting former players' sons... as if they will magically inherit all the father's skills and success?


Heyyyyy... didn't Kapanen play for... yah, that's right. Rutherford you're having a banner ****ing day my friend.

Good job, Dave!

Make sure you have a driver tonight.

 

[zhenyas most fly rep]

For what it's worth, that squad had a truly clueless coach who had no idea how to organize a game and utilize what he had.

I see the Pens don't have plenty players like him waiting in the minors, so he's going to hit a spot for you guys in a year or two.

Thks for the precision, with the tournament he had the year prior, things didn't really add up anyway.

Funny how it works, if that tournament hurt his stock a little and made him fell to us..
Well, we might be thankful for that clueless coach in the near future.

 

[Darth Vitale]

Make sure you have a driver tonight.

See my response to Jags. Less about the player than what trading the pick could've done for us. Especially in light of the Neal CLUSTER ****.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Just watching Kalpa vids and the guy needs to play with/against better/tougher competition. Unless he gets moved to a better team in Europe which would be ideal. Hopefully his pops sees that.

 

[SaintLouHaintBlue]

And WTF is it with Penguins Scouts drafting former players' sons... as if they will magically inherit all the father's skills and success?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_family_relations_in_the_NHL

It happens quite a bit.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=601099

http://www.greatesthockeylegends.com/2009/11/hockey-hall-of-fame-fathers-and-sons.html

 

[pensfan71]

DV is going ooooooff today..

 

[Al Smith]

See my response to Jags. Less about the player than what trading the pick could've done for us. Especially in light of the Neal CLUSTER ****.

I think you're overreacting a bit to the pick and perhaps the Neal trade, but I really love that picture. Thanks.

 

[MrBurghundy]

Dave Molinari ‏@MolinariPG 48s
Rutherford, on getting Kasperi Kapanen with the No. 22 pick: "We’re pretty happy with that. We had him rated seventh on our list."

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Wow DV, you could not possibly more off the mark on your thoughts here. Kapanen was a consensus steal.

As someone who has actually seen him play I say he's legitimate all the way. But hey, if you want to think it's nothing but nepotism then that's your problem. I guess Paul Stastny must suck and these Reinhart kids were only drafted because of their dad.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Wow DV, you could not possibly more off the mark on your thoughts here. Kapanen was a consensus steal.

As someone who has actually seen him play I say he's legitimate all the way. But hey, if you want to think it's nothing but nepotism then that's your problem. I guess Paul Stastny must suck and these Reinhart kids were only drafted because of their dad.

Thank you.