Just as the offseason began for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kyle Dubas pulled off a decent trade. As Pierre LeBrun noted, there was a great deal pressure on the Maple Leafs general manager with plenty of fans (and others) ready to jump on his offseason moves. However, if this is the first of many more like it, Dubas is getting a good start.
Related: Kapanen Reacts to Being Traded By the Maple Leafs
Cudos to Dubas for Getting a First-Round Pick
As LeBrun said this morning reviewing the trade, “there isn’t a single NHL team executive I heard from Tuesday who didn’t give him credit for the trade that sent Kasperi Kapenen to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a first-round draft choice (and others).
In the process of making the trade, Dubas was able to allow his team’s cap space to take a deeper breath as well as do a couple of things for the team. As LeBrun quoted one rival NHL general manager, it was a “Good deal for Kyle.” (from “Maple Leafs accomplish their goal in recouping first-rounder for Kapanen, Pierre LeBrun, The Athletic, 25/08/20).
In this post, I’ll take a look at what Kapanen brings to the Penguins. In another post, I’ll review who the Maple Leafs are getting in return; however, that’s not entirely known now because one of the players will be coming through the upcoming Draft.
Why Should the Penguins Be Pleased with Kapanen?
Reason One: Kapanen’s Background Has Prepared Him for Success
If ever someone was ready for NHL hockey, that would be Kapanen. His father Sami played 831 NHL games and during those games he scored 189 goals and 458 points. However, one of the key points about father Sami was more than he was a good hockey player. His reputation was that he was also a good guy.
And, there’s no doubt that father Sami has coached his son well. And, by that I mean literally coached him well. One of the most interesting stories about Sami and son Kasperi was that later in his career when he was a coach in Finland Sami came out of retirement to play with his son on the same line for two seasons (2012-13 and 2013-14) with KalPa Kuopio of the SM-liiga.
Father Sami admitted, “It was the reason I kept pushing myself to give it one more year to have a chance to play with him. It’s special and it’s hard to put into exact words. You feel so proud that your son is on the ice at the age of 16, 17, and that he’s capable of playing with men on a professional level of hockey.”
That experience of playing together was more than a father tutoring his son, it was Kasperi also spending lots of time hanging around professional hockey teams. That experience offered him firsthand knowledge about how to survive and prosper in the NHL.
In fact, it’s fair to suggest that Kasperi’s been preparing to be an NHL player his entire life.
Reason Two: Kapanen’s Time with the Maple Leafs Has Prepared Him for Success
In 2015, just after Kapanen was traded to the team, Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan noted: “He’s a talented guy; a top-six forward, we are hoping. I think he adds to another group of players that we have in our stable, that with a lot of work and a lot of patience and some development, we hope he can become a very productive Leaf at some point.”
Now, in 2020, Shanahan was right. Kapanen became what was expected. He’s shown to have value. The Finnish-born Kapanen was the Penguins’ first-round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft (22nd overall) but was moved to the Maple Leafs as part of the Phil Kessel trade just before the 2015-16 season.
Similar to any rookie, Kapanen’s playing time with the Maple Leafs was limited because of his youth and the number of more experienced wingers on the team. Kapanen played three seasons with the Toronto Marlies, showing that he was a point-per-game player in 2016-17. In 2017-18, he became part of the Maple Leafs’ roster for good.
Kapanen got his big break early in the 2018-19 season. William Nylander’s bitter salary negotiations caused the young Swede to sign late after the season had begun. In his place, then head coach Mike Babcock slotted young Kapanen in the spot of a top-six forward. Overall Kapanen thrived: he showed he could deliver on offense, play solid defense, and play on the penalty kill.
Kapanen had a great 2018-19 season, scoring 20 goals and 44 points. During the 2019-20 season, he scored 13 goals and 36 points.
As well, he’s on a team-friendly $3.2 million contact that runs for two more seasons.
Related: Jim Rutherford Says Penguins Will Trade One Of Murray or Jarry
In Summary, What Does Kapanen Bring to the Penguins?
It’s obvious what the Penguins saw in Kapanen. He’s fast, he can score, and he has great skills. He’s a flexible player, who plays at both ends of the ice. And, in the end, the 24-year-old was just what many hockey commentators suggested — a valuable trade chip the Maple Leafs could move to another NHL team.
I wish him good luck back with the Penguins, where he might have stayed all along.
