Olli Jokinen has just mentioned a name that could come as a surprise and be added to Martin St-Louis’ lineup very soon for the Montreal Canadiens.
It’s young Oliver Kapanen, a second-round pick by the Canadiens in 2021, who could indeed be added to the regular Montreal lineup much earlier than expected.
At least, that’s what his head coach, Olli Jokinen, believes.
Oliver Kapanen will be at the Montreal Canadiens’ training camp and could force Kent Hughes’ hand
As the excellent Marco D’Amico reports, Kapanen will indeed be at the Canadiens’ camp, and he will have a very specific goal in mind.
If he doesn’t play in Montreal this season, he won’t be able to go to the Laval Rocket and will have to return to Sweden.
However, Kapanen has other plans.
Here are a few statements from his head coach, Jokinen.
«Here [if he returns], we’ll use him on the first line with power play and penalty kill time.»
– Olli Jokinen
We could see a few surprises at the Canadiens’ training camp in two weeks, and it seems one of them might be Oliver Kapanen.
«Oliver Kapanen can steal a spot at the Canadiens’ camp.»
– Olli Jokinen
We wonder if keeping Kapanen in Montreal is the best solution for his development.
«He’s been too good for our league so far this preseason. […] He’s the kind of player you can place anywhere in the lineup because his hockey sense is very high.»
– Olli Jokinen
He’s clearly a name to watch closely for fans, even though he’s flying somewhat under the radar right now.
Kapanen, only 21 years old, is a 6-foot, 180-pound forward. He was the 64th overall pick by the Montreal Canadiens in 2021 (second round) and tallied 34 points in 51 games last season in Finland’s top league.
In the playoffs, he registered 14 points in 13 games, and his progress in recent months has been truly impressive.
We highly recommend you read the full article.
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