Kasperi Kapanen Claimed by the Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers have picked up Kasperi Kapanen off waivers from the St. Louis Blues. On the surface, it's not the flashiest move, but, maybe it's exactly the kind of depth tweak they need right now.

Kapanen only has a goal in 10 games this season with the Blues. Last year wasn't much better, with six goals and 22 points in 73 games.

The journeyman has been around the block, with 85 goals and 209 points across 470 career games split between the Toronto, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis. Plus, his $1 million cap hit is manageable.

The Oilers are 9-8-2 and have been all over the place to start the season, but Kapanen brings speed and clutch scoring touch to the group.

Drafted 22nd overall by the Penguins in 2014, Kasperi Kapanen found himself part of the blockbuster 2015 trade that sent Phil Kessel to Pittsburgh. Now, he's bringing his wheels to an Oilers bottom-six that desperately needs a jolt of speed. According to NHL EDGE, Kapanen's top skating speed is elite, ranking in the 95th percentile. However, his quick bursts fall into the bottom half, which could limit how often that speed truly impacts a game.

That said, Kapanen's overall impact at five-on-five has been underwhelming. Since the start of the 2022-23 season, teams have struggled to control play with him on the ice. In 1,739 minutes of action, his teams have managed just 46.3% of the shot attempts, 43.6% of expected goals, and 42.9% of scoring chances, while being outscored 85-63. For the Oilers, the hope is that his speed can translate into more offensive production and help balance their lineup.

Yes he's a rental, but GM Stan Bowman is hoping he's motivated to prove himself and help them out in the short term. At the very least, he adds some experience to the lineup and might help stabilize an offense in need of secondary scoring.

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