The Penguins promised many changes to their roster after a disappointing year-end and buckled up. It could start today:
Kasperi Kapanen is traded on PIT
– Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) August 25, 2020
This morning the Leafs and Penguins rumble on a deal that would send Kasperi Kapanen to Pittsburgh.
– Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) August 25, 2020
Obviously there is a lot more to it than that. Kasperi Kapanen was originally designed by the Penguins in the first round in 2014, but was traded to the Maple Leafs a year later as part of the Phil Kessel deal that rocked the ice hockey world.
Kapanen is under contract for an additional two years with $ 3.2 million. He’s had a pretty decent, thriving career, but a slightly disappointing 2019-20 career, with goals and points falling from his previous career high in 2018-19:
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Kapanen is not exactly an analytical treasure:
Kasperi Kapanen hasn’t played much in his NHL career. He had a good 2018-19 season and a 2019-20 replacement season. Much uncertainty. pic.twitter.com/HvYBvpYAxr
– Evolving Hockey (@EvolvingHockey) August 25, 2020
Kasperi Kapanen is a six-goal forward who has been extremely inconsistent in his career so far. The Penguins will hope he can regain his 18-19 form, the only season he was a differentiator. #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/YXfJGVjQnz
– JFresh (@JFreshHockey) August 25, 2020
But he’s clearly a player that Jim Rutherford knows and loves. Rutherford has ties to Kapanen’s father Sami from her time in Carolina.
Toronto and Pittsburgh are weird trading partners as they both don’t have enough salary caps. But after early exits, both teams are trying to shake up their squads. We still don’t know what to expect from Pittsburgh to the north, but will update it when it is announced. Depending on what it could be, this would be an attractive deal on the pens or a questionable move.
