Kasperi Kapanen is supposed to be good. After all, not only was he the Penguins' first round draft pick in 2014 but he's the son of Sami Kapanen, a pretty fair player himself. Dad didn't last 12 seasons in the NHL by accident.
Young Kapanen didn't even last a year in the Pittsburgh organization before being traded to Toronto in the Phil Kessel deal so, actually, he has already helped the Pens win 2 Stanley Cups. Now that he's back, he could very well help them win another – and this one with his name on it.
2021 has been a weird season for everyone, but especially for Kapanen whose start was delayed by Covid restrictions then, finally, playing with Evgeni Malkin and just when he was starting to look like that first round pick, he suffered a foot injury that cost him 13 games.
As luck would have it, which was so typical of the Penguins' injury-riddled season, Malkin was also hurt around the same time. For a while, it seemed that both might return at the same time but Kapanen beat Malkin back which has actually given Kapanen a chance to show that it may not matter who his linemates are – that he's just that good.
"I think he's excited to get back in the line-up," Mike Sullivan says, "I think his speed is such a threat in so many different ways. He's been a good player for us."
Initially, Sullivan eased him in by putting him on the fourth line, but Kapanen swiftly moved up to the third line and immediately clicked with Teddy Blueger and Zach Aston-Reese. He set up Cody Ceci's goal and later scored one of his own in the 5-1 win over the Devils so don't be surprised if Kapanen holds that spot until Malkin and/or Branden Tanev return.
While he had no points to show for his efforts in the 2 games over the weekend, I thought Kapanen had his best game since returning Sunday afternoon. To me, he was the most dangerous player on the ice until the rest of the Penguins followed suit. He finished with 5 shots on goal and 2 hits in 21 shifts.
"He had some real good chances against Boston," Sullivan agrees. "He just makes us a deeper team, I think a more dangerous team offensively, he's pretty sound defensively. He brings some size and physicality as well so he helps us in so many ways.
"I think he's looked really good since he's come back."
Kapanen almost certainly will be reunited with Malkin whenever Geno returns from his injury – and he should be. But in just a few games since returning from injury, Kapanen is proving he doesn't need a Hall of Fame center to excel. Yet, his play certainly bodes well for when Malkin is able to return.
Incidentally, Malkin will not play in the Boston rematch Tuesday night but Sullivan seems encouraged by Malkin's progress so it may not be too, too long before he returns.
