St. Louis Blues claim Kasperi Kapanen off waivers from Pittsburgh Penguins

The St. Louis Blues have claimed forward Kasperi Kapanen off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins, Daily Faceoff hockey insider Frank Seravalli reported Saturday.

Kapanen, 26, has seven goals and 20 points in 43 games with the Penguins this season. He’s under contract through the end of 2023–24 at a $3.2 million annual cap hit.

Coincidentally, the Blues are set to play host to the Penguins at Enterprise Center in St. Louis at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, although the Blues confirmed Kapanen would become eligible to play Tuesday against the Seattle Kraken.

The Blues currently rank sixth in the Central Division with a 26–28–4 record and appear to be on the verge of missing the playoffs for only the second time since 2011.

The Penguins originally selected Kapanen in the first round (No. 22 overall) of the 2014 NHL Draft. The 6’1″, 194-pound winger never played for the Penguins before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a nine-piece deal on Jul. 1, 2015. The full transaction: Phil Kessel, Tim Erixon, Tyler Biggs, and a 2016 second-round pick to Pittsburgh; Kapanen, Nick Spaling, Scott Harrington, and 2016 first- and third-rounders to Toronto.

Kapanen proceeded to spend parts of five seasons with the Maple Leafs to begin his NHL career, topping out at 20 goals and 44 points in 78 games with the team during the 2018–19 campaign. Toronto traded him back to the Penguins in 2020 as part of another complex trade, receiving a 2020 first-round pick as part of the return.

After rejoining the Penguins, Kapanen collected 29 goals and 82 points in 162 games over parts of three seasons with the club. He added six points in 13 games with the Penguins over the 2021 and 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Kapanen is set to become an unrestricted free agent when his contract expires at the end of the 2023–24 season. Including his time with the Maple Leafs, he’s amassed 70 goals and 172 points in 364 career games between 2015–16 and 2022–23.