Edmonton Oilers fans were in disbelief after watching Kasperi Kapanen hop down the tunnel on Sunday night.
The 29-year-old, who was claimed off waivers early into the 2024-25 campaign, has been excellent for the Oilers when healthy this season. The issue is, he hasn’t been healthy very often.
Kapanen has missed significant stretches this season due to injury. In fact, he’s appeared in just 14 games. In those 14 games, he’s been quite productive, scoring three goals and nine points.
After having been out of the lineup since Oct. 19, Kapanen was able to return to the Oilers in early January. He played like he was shot out of a cannon upon his return, registering three goals and seven points in eight games. The excitement surrounding him, however, seemed to evaporate immediately after he was forced to exit Sunday’s game with what appeared to be a serious injury.
Thankfully, however, it appears that the worst-case scenario was avoided.
“We don’t know how long it is; it’s certainly not as bad as what he hurt before,” head coach Kris Knoblauch said. “He seems like he’s in good spirits. … From what I’ve heard, it’s not going to be a long-term thing.”
This is great news for the Oilers, who are in need of more secondary scoring. Both Andrew Mangiapane and Trent Frederic have really struggled, while Jack Roslovic hasn’t had the same impact upon his return from injury.
The Oilers, winners of two straight, sit two points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for first place in the Pacific Division. They’ll look to narrow that gap on Tuesday night in a home tilt versus the New Jersey Devils.
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