The news that the Edmonton Oilers had retained depth forward Kasperi Kapanen came late on July 1st, and was easy to miss with the other big stories of the day regarding defense and goaltending. But the one year contract extension, costing the Oilers a reasonable $2.6 million, is a great sign for the 2026-27 season.
Kapanen has been a difference maker in an Oiler jersey, and while his most recent season was marred by injury, he was one of the few players that really looked ready for the postseason. In a losing effort against the Anaheim Ducks, Kapanen managed six points in six games, including four goals. Assuming he avoids injury this season and is able to hit the playoffs in top gear, it's exactly what the Oilers need. On nights when either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl are held pointless, the goals need to come from elsewhere and Kapanen was one of the few who managed to contribute.
Kapanen could have avoided Babcock
The postseason performance likely meant that Kapanen had options once he hit free agency, and the fact that he decided he wants to remain a part of the Oilers' attempt at a Cup win is notable. With Mike Babcock taking over as head coach, the stories in the news suggested that a lot of Oilers veterans were considering exit strategies. That may still end up being true for Adam Henrique and others, but it appears that Kapanen isn't intimidated.
The story on Babcock is that it's rarely the team's stars that get the rough treatment. The rookies and older vets have been the ones to face the brunt of Babcock's misdeeds, and so it seems Kapanen is betting that he'll be enough of a contributor that it won't be a concern, or that he is capable of dealing with it if Babcock looks his way. Truly, anyone who has been in sports for an extended amount of time has probably had coaches they didn't love, and Kapanen could very well be in the group that believes Babcock's form of accountability is what the Oilers need.
Kapanen has been in the league for a long time, with Edmonton being his fourth NHL stop, but he's only 29 years old. That suggests that in spite of a more significant injury history than some other players, he should be able to contribute at the level we've seen from him. If he hits career highs and parlays that production into a longer term contract somewhere else for 2027-28, the Oilers are still winners because they will have benefitted from this season's production.
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