When the Edmonton Oilers first claimed Kasperi Kapanen off waivers in November 2024, he quickly showed flashes of his skill and reminded everyone why he was a former first-round draft pick.

In his first game as an Oiler against the Minnesota Wild during the 2024-25 season, he drew two penalties thanks to his speed. By the second game, he was elevated to the top line to play with Connor McDavid, showed his high hockey IQ by playing fetch with the captain and registered an assist. That early play had me wondering why he was on the waiver wire in the first place.

Yet, those flashes of brilliance were just that, flashes. It didn’t translate into consistent production for the rest of the season.

However, after being a healthy scratch for the first nine games of the 2025 playoffs, Kapanen stepped up with a big performance the rest of the way. He scored a memorable overtime series-winner against the Vegas Golden Knights and began to show some real chemistry with Leon Draisaitl and Vasily Podkolzin.

After stepping up as a playoff hero, there was reason to believe Kapanen was going to put together a productive 2025-26 campaign. However, injuries limited him to just 41 regular-season games last year.

But come playoff time, Kapanen once again emerged as one of the Oilers’ most impactful players, recording six points (four goals, two assists) in six games against the Anaheim Ducks while leading the Oilers in goals despite their first-round exit.

Now, back for a third season, is this the time that the 30-year-old puts together a complete, impactful campaign from start to finish? I think it is.

A strong playoff performance is almost a given at this point, but my bold prediction is that Kapanen puts together a strong regular season and gets back to the 40-point plateau in 2026-27.

Why Kapanen can get back to the 40-point plateau

The Finnish forward registered 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in 41 games last season, which equates to 0.43 points per game (P/G) and translates to 35 points over an 82-game regular season. Had injuries not shortened his 2025-26 campaign, Kapanen would’ve been flirting with the........

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