Oliver Kapanen’s next stretch with the Canadiens is about a lot more than filling in for an injured captain.
The season hasn’t unfolded the way anyone in Montreal expected. In the preseason, it looked as if the Canadiens were set to roll out the “Kid Line,” with Kapanen set to center the second line between Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov. That trio still hasn’t taken a regular-season shift together, thanks to injuries to both Kapanen and Demidov.
Kapanen came back from a lower-body injury in Montreal’s 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres, but his assignment was very different from the one the preseason picture suggested. With Demidov out and Slafkovsky back on the first line, Kapanen slotted onto the right wing on the fourth line. He stayed in that role for the Canadiens’ next game against the San Jose Sharks.
Then came the opening he probably wasn’t expecting: captain Nick Suzuki injured his left hand and is out for two to four weeks. Suddenly, Kapanen has moved from the fourth line to the middle of Montreal’s top unit.
He has gone pointless in his four games this season, but that shouldn’t turn this into a rushed verdict. The Canadiens need him to help keep things steady until Suzuki returns. Just as important, they now have a chance to see whether Kapanen can eventually grow into the club’s long-term answer at second-line center.
That’s a big ask, and it would be unfair to expect him to simply replace Suzuki. Suzuki brings more than production.
He leads by example, even if he isn’t the loudest voice in the room. His game has improved season after season, built on serious work ethic, and last season he showed just how complete he can be by putting up his first 100-point campaign and winning the Frank J.
Selke Trophy.
Kapanen is only in his second season, and he’s still coming off a rookie year that had its highs and lows. His path to that point wasn’t smooth, either.
He had a brief look with the Canadiens in the 2024-25 season and didn’t make much of it, finishing with two assists in 18 games across two separate stints. The bulk of that season came in Sweden with Timra IK, where he posted 15 goals and 20 assists in 36 games.
Once back with Montreal, he showed he had taken something from that experience. His 22 goals last season were good for second among rookies, but the scoring dried up as the year wore on.
He managed just four goals over his final 25 games, and he was often a healthy scratch in the playoffs. Entering this season, the message was clear: consistency had to be part of the package.
Now he’s getting a chance to show it in a much bigger role.
Kapanen’s value doesn’t always jump off the page. His best trait may be his hockey IQ.
He’s reliable defensively, and he has a knack for finding soft spots in the offensive zone. That showed up in the Heritage Classic against the Winnipeg Jets, when he slipped free of his defender in the third period and ended up all alone in front of the net.
He just couldn’t finish the chance after a pass from Kaiden Guhle.
That’s the Kapanen experience in a nutshell. He’s not the kind of player who dazzles by weaving through the neutral zone and beating three defenders the way Demidov can.
He doesn’t have Cole Caufield’s shot or Slafkovsky’s physical gifts. What he does have is a strong feel for the game and an ability to create secondary chances by going to the right places at the right time.
He showed that last season, too, when he was on a line with Slafkovsky and Demidov.
This current stint on the top line gives Montreal a useful look at what he can do when the responsibilities rise. It also doubles as a kind of test run for the role the Canadiens may need him to play down the road at second-line center. The front office has been clear that it wants to improve the top six, and Dylan Larkin sits at the center of the trade chatter.
Landing a player like Larkin would require a major package, so Kapanen’s performance matters here for more than one reason. If he can drive play and help Montreal win without Suzuki, it could shape how the organization sees him. If not, the Canadiens still have the bigger-picture search for a second-line center to continue.
This stretch won’t settle everything, but it could move the needle. It may even help raise Kapanen’s value as Montreal keeps looking for answers. Either way, what he does over the next couple of weeks should have real weight for the Canadiens going forward.
In Other News...
Nick Suzukis Absence Suddenly Looks Bigger Than Canadiens Fans Hoped
Nick Suzukis absence is starting to feel more substantial for the Canadiens than it did at first glance, even as the team has kept winning without its captain. Suzuki is sidelined with an upper-body injury and will head back to Montreal after the Heritage Classic rather than stay with the club on the road trip, where he has been working through recovery with the teams medical staff.
The short-term good news is that Montreal has found a way to keep stacking results without him, but the bigger picture around Suzuki is less clear. He is expected to be out for a stretch, and there is at least some concern that he may not have been fully healthy even before this latest setback, which makes his status one of the more important things to watch once the Canadiens return home. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Face A Painful Goalie Decision As Montembeault Nears Return
Samuel Montembeaults return is getting closer, and for the Canadiens that means the calendar is starting to squeeze a goaltending picture that was already crowded. Jacob Fowler has taken over as the primary option in net, while the organization has tried to manage its depth with Montembeault and Jakub Dobes both still on the roster.
The complication is that Montreal cannot simply shuffle its way out of the problem. Montembeault and Dobes would have to clear waivers to go to Laval, and with Montembeaults contract set to expire next summer, the front office is staring at a decision that could shape both the present and the near future. Recent signings around the league may also make the trade market less straightforward than it looked a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Draw A Firm Line As Trade Push Heats Up
The Canadiens have been busy enough in the trade market to keep their phones ringing, but one name appears to be off limits no matter how active the talks get. NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported that Montreal has no intention of moving top prospect Michael Hage, even as his name has surfaced in discussions around the league, a reminder that the front office is looking for ways to improve without stripping away one of its most promising young pieces.
Montreals willingness to explore deals has clearly not changed its view of Hages value, and that matters for a club trying to balance the present with the future. The Canadiens also had a timely boost on the ice, edging the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 in the 2026 NHL Heritage Classic behind Jacob Fowlers 33-save effort, but the bigger question for the organization may be how far it is willing to go when rival teams come asking for help. [Read more 🡒]