Kasperi Kapanen Deserves a Shot With the Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs have an abundance of exciting young talent currently taking the NHL by storm, but one prospect appears to have become the forgotten man.

UPDATE: This article was written prior to the revelation of Kapanen’s injury, which will see him out of the Marlies line-up for and extended period of time. Please take this into consideration.

Kasperi Kapanen, a former first round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins, was once talked about as being in a similar position as William Nylander – whom had become a close friend during their debut season together with the Toronto Marlies.

However, while Nylander has become a regular player for the Marlies’ NHL affiliates, Kapanen has found himself left behind – still plugging away in the minors, trying to grab the attention of head coach Mike Babcock.

And Kapanen’s performance should have registered on Babcock’s radar at some point this season.

POINTS PRODUCER

In 33 regular season games, Kapanen has 16 goals and 33 total points, sitting just one behind points-leader Brendan Leipsic.

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His 16 goals makes him the Marlies’ top goalscorer and his point-per-game average doesn’t look likely to subside any time soon – whereas Leipsic has found his early scoring pace drop dramatically in recent weeks.

Kapanen is not just having an exceptional season with the Marlies – he has taken his development further and has already registered eight points more than his total from last year, having also played 11 games less.

The Leafs have grabbed their youth revolution with two hands and are now enjoying the fruits of their decision, with five players currently ranked in the top-20 for NHL rookie points-scorers this season.

But there appears to be no room for Kapanen, who is showing plenty of promise for the Marlies.

KAPANEN BETTER THAN SOSH?

The biggest question surrounding the Leafs’ decision to keep Kapanen playing in the AHL is the fact they seem quite happy to keep Nikita Soshnikov playing in the big leagues – despite only registering four points (1G, 3A) in 30 regular season games.

In the AHL this season, Soshnikov played just six times and earned just one assist less than his current NHL totals – begging the question: Why hasn’t Kapanen been given a call up?

Points are not always the be-all, end-all in ice hockey, but having a player that can, and has, put up more points throughout his AHL career than Soshnikov should surely be a positive thing for a team that currently has one of the best goal-scoring records in the NHL this season.

If the 23-year-old adds little to the team’s opportunities to earn more goals, and ultimately more points, then Kapanen should be given a chance to prove he is deserving of a spot on the NHL roster.

Both Soshnikov and Kapanen are on two-way contracts, meaning they are able to switch between the NHL and AHL without having to clear waivers.

This provides the Leafs with a problem-free option that could give a young player, whom is easily one of the most valuable to their AHL affiliate, the chance to steal an NHL spot and contribute to the team’s success moving forward.

TRADES AND DEADLINE LOOMING

With the Leafs in a strong position in their division, it is unlikely that management would make a big change to the line-up – but it is something that should certainly be considered prior to the trade deadline.

With James van Riemsdyk constantly talked about in trade rumours, the Leafs would need a goal-scoring winger that could step in a fill the gap left by the American.

If Kapanen is given a shot before the trade deadline, and he shows he is capable of being a regular NHL goal-scorer, then the impact of potentially losing JVR would be greatly reduced.

However, if a trade is made and Kapanen is called up after the fact and isn’t able to score often, then it could be a big regret on the part of Leafs management.

Next: McElhinney Leads Leafs Past Senators

But what do you think? Is Kapanen deserving of a call-up to the NHL? Or are you happy for him to stay in the AHL? Let us know your views in the comments!