Canadiens prospect Oliver Kapanen dominating the Finnish LIIGA

A promising prospect of the Montreal Canadiens, drafted in the second round in 2021, is currently tearing it up in the Liiga, a professional league in Finland.

Olivier Kapanen, the 64th pick of his draft, is absolutely on fire during the playoffs, following an excellent end to his season as well.

Just like Juraj Slafkovsky in Montreal, the 20-year-old center has taken off last January, becoming an offensive cornerstone for his team, Kalpa, despite his young age.

After scoring 14 goals and 34 points in 51 regular-season games, Kapanen has stepped up his game in the playoffs, with a tally of four goals and nine points after just six games.


He is currently the top scorer of the playoffs in the Liiga, which is quite rare for a player under 21 years old.

What is his future with the Canadiens?

Opinions differ regarding Kapanen's potential in the Canadiens organization. In my view, nothing is certain until he finally makes the jump to North America.

With interesting defensive skills, in addition to his burgeoning offensive game, he could compete for a spot as the third center in Montreal soon, especially if Kent Hughes manages to bring him over to play with the Laval Rocket next year.

Technically, Kapanen is without a contract for the next season, and despite rumors that he might jump to the SHL, I remain convinced that the Canadiens' GM should offer him a contract to bring him over as soon as possible.

The Canadiens hold the rights to the 6-foot-1, 179-pound forward until June 1, 2025.