Kasperi Kapanen Seems a Lock to Start the Season in Pittsburgh
For all the uncertainty and misfortune that has befallen the Pittsburgh Penguins’ training camp – from key stars dealing with a myriad of injuries to a tragic family loss in the Crosby family – one thing has remained constant: the upward trajectory of Kasperi Kapanen.
The highly touted rookie has looked excellent thus far and continues to get better and better as each practice and preseason game passes. While he still seems to be adjusting to the North American ice, Kapenen clearly has an edge over other players of his age group after playing the last few seasons with grown men in the Finnish Liiga.
General Manager Jim Rutherford has made it known, on more than one occasion, that the management team views Kapanen as having a very real chance of making the opening night roster, and all have spoken highly of him as the preseason preparations have progressed.
With the recent injury to key winger Beau Bennett, who will now be sidelined for up to six weeks, as well as the re-assignment of winger Jayson Megna to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, there remain only a few options at wing for the big club. Chris Kunitz, Pascal Dupuis, Patric Hornqvist and Steve Downie are sure locks to start the season in Pittsburgh, but, for the remaining four spots at wing, only Kapanen, Daniel Carcillo, Blake Comeau, Craig Adams, and Bobby Farnham remain at camp.
Farnham seems the most likely odd man out among that group, as veterans Carcillo, Comeau and Adams will all be given the chance to bolster the team’s bottom six.
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Under the previous coaching regime, led by former head coach Dan Bylsma, young forwards were almost always relegated to the bottom six, which wasn’t too controversial a choice considering how top-loaded the team was at forward. Things have changed now, however, as the forward corps seems much more balanced, and open to much more movement. As it currently stands, Kapanen would have a much better chance at success in the Penguins’ top six, playing alongside either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, using his skill set to maximize these centers’ own talents, rather than looking to play a defensive or physical role on the third or fourth lines.
Head coach Mike Johnston seems to agree with this logic, as he revealed that Kapanen was slated to start alongside Crosby and Kunitz in the Penguins’ most recent preseason game, before Crosby was forced to miss the game to attend to family matters.
As the team approaches their final two games of the preseason, it will be interesting to note where Kapanen is placed in the lineup. Realistically, he could line up on either of the first two lines, providing some finesse to either the Crosby/Kunitz tandem or the Malkin/Hornqvist tandem, or could slot in alongside Brandon Sutter on the third to replace Bennett and help bolster Sutter’s offensive game.
Regardless of where he plays, it seems near certain Kasperi Kapanen will be a Pittsburgh Penguin when the puck drops on opening night – an exciting prospect for a team that could surely benefit from some fresh young legs at the forward position.