Edmonton Oilers claim a former 20 goal scorer off waivers to play with Connor McDavid

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Tom Banks
November 19, 2024 (4:20 PM)

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The Edmonton Oilers haven't been themselves early in the year offensively, and now they've claimed Kasperi Kapanen in hopes he can give them a spark.

When a team carries a superstar duo like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the offense is expected to be among the best in the entire NHL, but unfortunately, that just hasn't been the case for Edmonton this season.

With 2.63 goals per game, they rank 24th in the league, and with many of their veterans like Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins struggling to make a huge impact, a change was needed.

Now, the team has taken a chance on Kasperi Kapanen, who was waived by the St. Louis Blues on Monday as the team believes they could find a significant role for him in the top six.

The 28-year-old was a first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins back in 2014, and while he's carved out a solid career for himself in Pittsburgh, Toronto, and St. Louis, he's never quite lived up to the expectations that come with that draft position.

After two solid seasons with the Blues, scoring 14 goals and 36 points, Kapanen is off to a very slow start this year, posting just 1 goal in the 10 games he has played with them thus far.

Now, he's found a new home with the Edmonton Oilers, and given that he's never played with someone as good as McDavid or Draisaitl, this could be the key to unlocking his career.

In 470 games since 2015, Kapanen has tallied 85 goals and 209 points at the NHL level, so while his play has been consistent, it just hasn't wowed the teams that believed so highly in him.

The Oilers are the latest to do so, and whether or not he becomes a star, he comes on a very cheap deal, and if he's used properly, could be very effective in their chase for a Stanley Cup.

At this point, it's unclear where Kapanen will slot in the Oilers lineup, but with the team struggling, something has to change, so keep an eye on how this dynamic in the Oilers forward group changes moving forward.