Canadiens sign Oliver Kapanen to three-year, entry-level contract

A creative young prospect has signed his first NHL contract.

On Saturday, the Montreal Canadiens announced they have agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract with forward Oliver Kapanen.

Kapanen was selected by the Canadiens in the second round, 64th overall, in the 2021 NHL Draft.

There is a lot to like about the Finnish center’s game. He has outstanding awareness in the offensive zone, with the ability to finish in tight and from afar. While Kapanen has the ability to put the back in the back of the net, he is also exceptional at creating chances and finding teammates in dangerous scoring areas.

Since being drafted by Montreal, the 20-year-old has flourished in Liiga, the top league in Finland, playing for KalPa, the same team his father Kimmo played with for several seasons. This past season, Kapanen scored a career-high 14 goals and 20 assists for 34 points in 51 games, scoring another 14 points in the playoffs. He helped KalPa reach the semifinals, where they were ultimately eliminated by Tappara, the eventual league champions.

In 124 Liiga games, which included two on loan to Kärpät, Kapanen scored 27 goals and 38 assists, including 15 points in 20 playoff games.

He has also represented Suomi a number of times in his career. Kapanen played for the Finnish Junior National Team at the 2022 and 2023 IIHF World Junior Championships, before making his debut with the senior national team this past spring in Czechia. In eight games at the IIHF Men’s World Championship, Kapanen scored six goals, tied for fifth most in the tournament. He ended up being named one of Finland’s top three players.

Kapanen already has plenty of ties to the NHL. His uncle, Sami, was a longtime NHLer, while his cousin, Kasperi, is currently with the St. Louis Blues.

As a result of the signing, the Canadiens have 42 standard player contracts signed for next season. According to CapFriendly, Montreal has around $8.5 million of projected cap space.