There is zero doubt that the 2024-25 NHL season will be very important for St. Louis Blues winger Kasperi Kapanen. The 28-year-old winger signed a one-year deal worth $1 million in the offseason.
The Blues originally claimed him off of waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2022-23 season. He looked solid in the final 23 games of that season with the team, but things have shifted since then. Let’s get into why this is a make-or-break season for him in St. Louis.
Kapanen’s Lack of Production Last Season
The 2023-24 season was a rough one for Kapanen. In 73 games, he had just six goals and 16 assists for 22 points. He was also a minus-5 across those 73 games. He couldn’t string anything together all season, which was a problem for more than one Blues forward in 2023-24. It’s easy to forget that he had eight goals in 23 games in 2022-23 with the club after being claimed from Pittsburgh. The production last season was shockingly low and that is a reason why I didn’t expect general manager Doug Armstrong to re-sign him this summer.
He’s never been an elite goal scorer, but he did net 20 in 2018-19 across 79 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs. It’s alarming to see him score just six goals in nearly an entire season.
Where Kapanen Could Play in the Lineup
Kapanen’s role in 2024-25 will be interesting to observe as the Blues added much more depth to their forward group over the summer. The depth added is another reason why I thought he wouldn’t be re-signed this summer. The additions of Radek Faksa, Mathieu Joseph, and Alexandre Texier certainly help with forward depth.
Toward the end of the preseason, he was playing on the third line with Brayden Schenn and Joseph. He’s been good this preseason with two goals and three points in four games. He’s earned the opportunity to be in the lineup on Oct. 8 when the Blues open the season at the Seattle Kraken. He’s been one of the best forwards on the team this preseason and that has to be worth something.
If he can net 15 goals and play a solid two-way game, then Armstrong will look smart for keeping him around. The added depth means that he’ll have to earn his spot all season long, which should be a motivating factor. It wasn’t that way last season when the depth mostly consisted of rookies or fringe NHLers.
Make or Break Season Ahead for Kapanen
The 2024-25 season is a make-or-break one for Kapanen. He’s coming off of a bad season and has a reputation around the league as a player who is starting to not fit in multiple places. There is zero doubt that it didn’t work out for him at all in Pittsburgh as they waived him midseason in 2022-23. He’s 28 years old and it’s time for him to produce and find his way back into a solid lineup role. If it happens this season in St. Louis, that’s great. If it doesn’t, he won’t return to the team and I’m not sure how many interested teams there would be if he hits the free-agent market at that point.
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Overall, it’s difficult to overstate the importance of this season for Kapanen and the Blues. They need to figure out if he’s back to being a solid player in a winning lineup or if last season was the norm. I think head coach Drew Bannister and staff will find out quickly what the answer is.
