Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen comfortable with a bigger role

Interviewing NHL-ers last season was a challenging endeavor.

Because of the pandemic, virtually every interaction between media with players, coaches and executives was done through electronic means.

Sure, every cliche about being strong on the forecheck or getting bodies to the net was heard loud and clear through a video conference or phone call.

But the nuances of emotion usually were lost when they were reduced to gigabytes of data streamed through a T1 cable line.

Usually.

One of the few exceptions to that notion came after the Pittsburgh Penguins’ season had concluded.

A few days following the team’s loss to the New York Islanders in the first round of the playoffs, forward Kasperi Kapanen held his exit interview with reporters over a video conference. Sitting at a table in front of a corporate backdrop and fielding questions through a squawky speaker, Kapanen’s feelings were evident through any lens.

Choking on his words at times, Kapanen, whom the Penguins acquired via trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs in August of 2020, spoke profoundly as to what being a member of the Penguins meant to him.

“Just a great group of guys kind of welcoming me in,” Kapanen said. “Made me feel at home in a way, for sure. I’m grateful for that. … But I’m very grateful for the way the guys made me feel at home and feel a part of this team.”

Four months later, interviews are in person but Kapanen’s sentiment hasn’t changed.

“The guys really made me feel comfortable,” Kapanen said. “They made me feel like one of them. That wasn’t (against) Toronto. I had an amazing five years there, too, and made some lifelong friends. But I think it was just the situation of coming in late, and they still took me in really well. I think it was my best season yet, which made it probably that much more special. Some good chemistry with the guys.”

That chemistry took some time to reach a level of miscibility, however.

An immigration issue forced the Finnish-born Kapanen to miss the team’s brief training camp in January, as well as the first few games of the season. And an undisclosed injury sidelined him for 13 games throughout March and April.

Once he got acclimated to his new surroundings, Kapanen was able to contribute in meaningful ways, particularly when he was placed on a line with second-line center Evgeni Malkin. In 40 games, Kapanen was sixth on the team in scoring with 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists).

Now, with the benefit of a full camp, the ceiling for Kapanen is elevated.

“We think the sky is the limit for his game,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “(Kapanen) has the ability to be an elite player in this league. He’s one of the fastest skaters we have. He has great offensive instincts. He can really shoot the puck. He has finishing capability. He has good size. He can play a power game down low. There’s a lot to (Kapanen’s) game.

“We think there’s another level to his game, and we’re going to try to help him get there. He’s an important guy for us. He’s still a young player that I think still has a lot of room to grow and improve.”

Kapanen agreed and has high expectations for himself in that area.

“I just want to be better than last year,” Kapanen said. “I thought last year was a good year. It was kind of only half a season. I just want to improve in every area, really. Defensively, I know I can do a better job. I don’t know if they want me to play penalty kill this year, which I was doing in Toronto. We’ll see.”

In his final season with the Maple Leafs, Kapanen averaged 1 minute, 39 seconds of short-handed ice time per game. During his first campaign as a member of the Penguins, he logged 1:33 of ice time on the penalty kill for the entire season.

“Whether we use him on the penalty kill or not, time will tell,” Sullivan said. “We’ll see there. A lot of it is going to boil down to minutes and whether or not he’s part of our first power-play (group) or how much power-play time he gets. I can’t give you the answer to that right now because, quite honestly, I don’t have the answer myself. We know he’s an option to play on the penalty kill, and we may try him there. But it all depends on how we deploy the minutes amongst the group so that we get the most out of the group in general.”

The Penguins will be missing the skills of Malkin (right knee) as well as top line center Sidney Crosby (left wrist) to open the season.

In their absences, Kapanen appears comfortable embracing a greater responsibility.

“We’ll see what the lines are. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but those are obviously our top players and it hurts when they’re out,” he said. “But guys have just got to step up and play that much better. Look at the roster we have; we have a ton of potential. We’re still an amazing team.”

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