The Edmonton Oilers have announced they’ve claimed forward Kasperi Kapanen off waivers from the St. Louis Blues. Kapanen, a right-winger, has tallied 85 goals and 124 assists across 470 NHL career games.
Bob Stauffer of *Oilers Now* highlighted Kasperi Kapanen’s strengths, noting that he brings speed to his game and has experience playing on the penalty kill during his time with Toronto and St. Louis.
Mark Spector of Sportsnet weighed in on the move, suggesting it reflects the Oilers’ need for more speed on the wing and a chance to avoid overplaying Corey Perry. He added, “I like Perry, but not when he’s tired.” Regarding Kapanen, Spector called him a wildcard, noting that he hasn’t been a fan favorite or particularly productive in his recent stops, describing the claim as “a bit of a reach, IMO.”
Kasperi Kapanen, 28, is a right-shot right winger currently on a one-year, $1 million deal, making him a minimal cap hit. This move comes without significant cap implications unless the Oilers aim to preserve cap space or decide to send a forward, likely Corey Perry or Derek Ryan, down to the AHL.
Will Kapanen help the Oilers? Based on two-way play metrics—specifically contributions to Grade A shots at even strength versus mistakes leading to Grade A shots against—the team’s weakest forwards this season have been Derek Ryan, Corey Perry, and Jeff Skinner. While Skinner, earning $3 million per year, is still adjusting, Ryan and Perry, the team’s oldest forwards, are no longer performing at their previous levels. Replacing one of Edmonton’s Top 9 forwards with Kapanen might be a stretch, but he could provide more speed and aggression than either Perry or Ryan. A change seems necessary.
Reports indicate that Drake Caggiula and Noah Philp are performing well in the AHL, making them strong candidates for a call-up. If Kapanen replaces Perry immediately, it would make sense to bring up Philp to take Ryan’s spot and Caggiula as the 12th forward. The Oilers could benefit from an energy boost, and the trio of Kapanen, Philp, and Caggiula could provide exactly that.
