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The Edmonton Oilers have been dominant for most of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and although Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are again the catalysts, it's the depth that has really put the Western Conference juggernauts over the top this postseason.
Kasperi Kapanen is one unheralded forward who has stepped up tremendously. He was excellent in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers, recording two assists while skating with Draisaitl and Evander Kane on the second line at 5-on-5.
The Finnish forward admitted he's just happy he's getting an opportunity to make a difference.
“I've bounced around,” Kapanen said after Wednesday's 4-3 overtime victory, per Sportsnet's Luke Fox. “And there's no point in getting into the why it wasn't working out … but I knew that, potentially, this might be my last chance, and I'm grateful they gave me the opportunity.”
The 28-year-old continued: “These are the best days of my life right now, just coming to the rink and playing these games. Listen, my blood pressure is really high, and it is nerve-wracking. But I'm just enjoying this. I mean, everybody is nervous at this time. Playoff hockey is the best.”
Kapanen was claimed off waivers from the St. Louis Blues back in November, the second time that had happened in under two years. He managed 13 points in 57 regular season games in 2024-25, and was a healthy scratch for the entire Round 1 series against the Los Angeles Kings.
But he's been extremely effective since then. Kapanen scored the series-clinching goal in a 1-0 overtime victory in Game 5 against the Vegas Golden Knights, beating Adin Hill to send the Oilers to the West Final for the second straight year.
He also scored goals in Games 4 and 5 against the Dallas Stars as the Oilers dominated the Central Division winners to reach back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals.
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Kasperi Kapanen making a difference in Zach Hyman's absence
Without Zach Hyman, who dislocated his wrist late in the Stars series, Kapanen has been a great addition to the top-six; he continues to prove the doubters wrong this postseason.
“We always wanted more from him,” said head coach Kris Knoblauch, per Fox. “Since we inserted him back in the lineup in that Vegas series, he’s been playing exactly what we needed. He’s been making plays, scoring goals. We’ve had him on the ice in the last minute of games. He’s been making some big hits. He’s been doing everything. He’s got all the tools.”
A former first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins back in 2014, Kapanen began his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs before being shipped back to Pennsylvania in 2019-20.
Five years later, he's found a home with the Oilers — and he's part of a dominant roster that is three victories away from capturing Lord Stanley for the first time since 1990.
Edmonton will look to retain home-ice advantage in Game 2 on Friday night; puck drops from Rogers Arena just past 8:00 p.m. ET.
