Though the Edmonton Oilers had a disappointing exit in the 2026 playoffs at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks, one clear bright spot was the performance of their second line.

The trio of Leon Draisaitl, Vasily Podkolzin and Kasperi Kapanen was excellent. Across Edmonton’s six games against Anaheim, the line produced six goals and didn’t allow a single goal against at 5‑on‑5.

Kapanen’s performance is particularly notable. He finished with four goals and two assists in Edmonton’s six playoff games, tying Connor McDavid with 6 points. This is not the first time he has been an impactful playoff performer for the Oilers either; in the 2025 postseason, he scored the series‑winning overtime goal against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of the second round.

Overall, he finished the 2025 playoffs with a solid six points and an excellent 61 per cent 5‑on‑5 goal share across 12 games. This certainly raises the question of whether he should be a regular, long‑term fixture on Draisaitl’s wing. 

However, Kapanen is not exactly a de facto top-six winger. He has reached the 20‑goal, 40‑point threshold only once – back in 2018‑19 – and he was placed on waivers less than two years ago. He has mightily struggled with consistency throughout his career. It is very reasonable to argue that an aspiring Cup contender like the Oilers should be aiming much higher for a top-six winger.

Given their chemistry together, I believe Vasily Podkolzin should be a lock on Draisaitl’s wing on the second line. The real question is who should occupy the other wing. Is Kasperi Kapanen the right fit for that spot in 2026-27? Let’s take a closer look. 

How strong are Draisaitl’s results with Kapanen?

Let’s dive deeper into Draisaitl’s results with Kapanen. First, here are the results of the Podkolzin – Draisaitl – Kapanen line over each of the past two regular and post-seasons:

Though the sample sizes aren’t large, we can see flashes of potential in their metrics from 2024-25. They posted a 60 and 61 per cent expected goal share in the regular season and playoffs, respectively, at 5-on-5 that season.

The 2025-26 regular season provides the largest single sample for this line so far, with 141 minutes, and they clearly........

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