Kasperi Kapanen Will Play Important Role for the Edmonton Oilers This Season – The Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

In the midst of some change for the Edmonton Oilers before the coming season, they have plenty of returning pieces looking to build on the success of recent years. Among them is Kasperi Kapanen, who has been a part of the team since 2024 and is coming off a hot finish to the 2025-26 season. I believe he will play a very important role for the Oilers this season.

Kapanen has certainly seen his share of hot and cold streaks in Edmonton, and coaches have moved him around the lineup throughout his tenure. Obviously, injuries and some struggles contribute to this and with a couple new forwards this season, he will likely be tried out on new lines yet again. Wherever he plays and however his offence takes shape in the early going, he will be a vital piece for this team for a few reasons.

Oilers Lost Some Veterans

Amid the changes for the Oilers, veterans Adam Henrique (free agent) and Jack Roslovic (Toronto Maple Leafs) are no longer with the team, and that leaves a bit of a hole in the lineup; not only in terms of skill set, but valuable experience. The losses of those guys make the bottom-six younger and put guys like Jason Dickinson and Kapanen in a leadership spot in that part of the lineup.

If Kapanen is shuffled towards the bottom part of the lineup, he will likely be paired with younger players who could use some stability and support alongside them. He’s someone who has been around since the 2015-16 season, and while he’s never been in a real leadership role, he’s more of a reliable player than some of the rookies, sophomores, and grinders the Oilers will be playing in the bottom half. He’ll need to pick up the slack left by the exiting veterans in all facets of the game.

Offseason Extension

A main reason Kapanen will be important to the Oilers this season is that they have shown faith in him. On July 1, he signed a one-year extension worth $2.6 million, his highest cap hit since 2023-24. It’s taken a few seasons to prove his worth again, and now with the Oilers putting the chips on the table, Kapanen needs to hold up his end.

One of the major reasons for the extension hinges on his performance in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Kapanen scored four goals and six points in six games, including one game-winning goal. He added 17 hits and was a plus-7 while averaging just under 18 minutes per game. In a postseason where the Oilers were an early exit and had several players struggling, the team leaned on him to step up and play a bigger role; now it’s time for that to translate into 2026-27.

Kapanen, plain and simple, has all the skills needed to be a weapon for the Oilers. He showed it in the playoffs and in flashes during last regular season. When he returned from injury in January after missing a couple months, he went on a tear where he scored three goals and seven points over seven games. This is a snapshot of what he can provide when he gets comfortable.

KAP’D IT OFF 🚨 #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/wN9W9DyqjO

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 21, 2026

Kapanen has incredible speed and a great shot that he needs to utilize more. He is also a hard checker, which we saw in the playoffs, and I would love to see even more in the regular season. Despite playing 41 games last season, he still ranked sixth on the team in hits, so this season should see an uptick there. Hopefully, with a healthy campaign and the right linemates, we can see Kapanen flourish and play a huge role for an Oilers team poised for a bounce-back.