Canadiens: Oliver Kapanen the First Candidate On Jeff Gorton's Mind

While the Montreal Canadiens (and their fans) nervously await real and solid information about Patrik Laine's knee injury, the team's executive vice president of hockey operations, Jeff Gorton, was a guest on The Sick Podcast yesterday.

View the original article to see embedded media.

Numerous topics were discussed, but without a doubt, the most interesting part of the conversation was his reaction when he was asked who could have a glowing first opportunity to fill in for the big Finn:

Well, I mean Oliver Kapanen right away is the guy that's come in here and played very well and opened our eyes. You know we have a situation with him where we have him for camp and then if he doesn't make the team he's got to go back to Sweden. We'll try and keep him as long as we can to make that decision try to get him into these games that we're finishing off with in the next week. He's still with us, you know we're down to five lines right now. He's one guy.

Anyone who has attended the Canadiens training in the last couple of weeks won't be surprised to hear/read that Kapanen has shone bright and early. While that might partly be due to the fact that he had already played in pre-season games in Sweden, he has maintained his lead on other rookies.

He's looked good in scrimmages and in real game action (as real as an exhibition game can be, of course), so much so that he was noticed by the media, fans, and, given Gorton's comments, the organization as well.

The executive VP also mentioned a few other players, such as Joshua Roy, Joel Armia, and Brendan Gallagher. The one guy he didn't mention, though, is Josh Anderson. To be fair, given his season last year, it makes sense that he's not the first name that comes to mind. Canadiens coach Martin St-Louis did mention him as a possibility yesterday, though.

Right now, it seems obvious to me that there will be a few auditions to fill in for Laine, but once a decision is made, I hope the line gets some stability. While Kapanen is a center and not a winger, the transition from the pivot position to the wing is much easier than the other way around.

Related: Montreal Canadiens Training Camp: Kapanen Shines on Day 2

Furthermore, Kapanen's prowess on faceoff could also benefit the Canadiens' second line, given how poorly Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook have done in that department so far. As Grant McCagg brought up on The Sick Podcast, Dach has about a 35% success rate, and Newhook is at 41%. There definitely is some room for improvement there, and Kapanen would be an easy way to give the line a better chance of seeing more puck possession.

Related: Canadiens: Why Isn't Oliver Kapanen On the Rookie Camp Roster?

To me, Kapanen is the best option right now, and I would like to see him get an extended look on the second line. I believe using him would be much more constructive rather than going out and getting a veteran on the free-agent market.

Related

Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs: Let's Get Ready To Rumble
Déjà Vu: Canadiens Lose Patrik Laine Four Minutes Into Saturday Night Game
Canadiens: About the Harris-Laine Trade

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens