Canadiens loan Oliver Kapanen to Sweden’s Timra IK
On Wednesday, the Montreal Canadiens announced that they are loaning forward Oliver Kapanen to Timrå IK of the Swedish Hockey League.
The team also revealed that it is recalling forward Lucas Condotta from its American Hockey League, the Laval Rocket.
Les Canadiens ont prêté l'attaquant Oliver Kapanen au Timrå IK dans la SHL et ont rappelé l'attaquant Lucas Condotta du Rocket de Laval. De plus, l'attaquant Jacob Perreault a été assigné au Rocket de Laval.
The Canadiens have loaned forward Oliver Kapanen to Timrå IK in the SHL…
This is Kapanen’s first pro season in North America. So far, he has appeared in 12 of the Habs’ 13 games, registering his first NHL as an assist in his NHL debut against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 10. He also posted a helper in Montreal’s overtime loss to the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night. Kapanen has averaged 11:38 of ice with a plus/minus of -4.
The 21-year-old had some notable expectations heading into his rookie season. The Canadiens took him in the second round, 64th overall, of the 2021 NHL Draft. He built a reputation as an exceptional scoring threat with Kalpa in Liiga in his native Finland. Kapanen signed a three-year, entry-level contract to come to Montreal this past June.
However, things haven’t quite paid off right away for Kapanen. While he played around 12-13 minutes per game through his first 11 appearances, the Swedish-born center played less than eight minutes against Calgary. The decision to loan him back overseas is for the opportunity to consistently play big minutes and develop into the asset the Canadiens brass expect him to be.
Timra (8-8) currently sits eighth in the SHL standings. They are next scheduled to play on Nov. 14 against HV71.
Condotta, the Rocket’s captain, has spent the first month of the season solely in the AHL. With Laval, he has posted four assists in nine games. The 27-year-old, who has spent his entire career in the Montreal system, played just three games for the Habs last season. In four career NHL appearances, Condotta has scored one goal, that coming in his NHL debut during the 2022-23 season.
The Canadiens (4-7-2) are at the bottom of the Atlantic Division in points (10) and winning percentage (.385). They are scheduled to face the New Jersey Devils in Newark on Thursday night.