Oliver
Kapanen
C · MTL · Balanced · Very poor
- PAL
- 8
- WAR
- 0.6
- Value
- 19
- PTS
- 37
2025-26№ 221 / 615
Oliver Kapanen (Montreal Canadiens) stats and profile: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats, WAR and PAL rating.
Oliver Kapanen
#91CPlays: Centre · 71% of faceoffs
Montreal Canadiens
HEIGHT : 188 cm · WEIGHT : 88 kg · SHOOTS : R
Born : July 28, 2003 · Timra, Sweden
Drafted : 2021 · MTL · round 2, pick #64
Contract : $925,000 · 2024-25 → 2026-27 · Entry-Level Contract · RFA · Signing bonus $92,500
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Montréal Canadiens | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 2025-26 | Montréal Canadiens | 82 | 22 | 15 | 37 | 22 |
| 2024-25 | Montréal Canadiens | 18 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| NHL totals | 110 | 23 | 18 | 41 | 30 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Montréal Canadiens | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2024-25 | Montréal Canadiens | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Playoff totals | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Oliver Kapanen: our analysis
2025-26 season: 82 GP, 22 G, 15 A, 37 PTS, +4 +/-, 14:28 TOI. WAR 0.6 (221st of 615) · PAL 8, very poor.
In 2025-26, Oliver Kapanen, 23, posts a PAL Rating of 8 out of 100 (very poor), and his WAR of 0.6 ranks 221st among 615 regulars, in the top half.
His strengths: penalty kill (94, among the best in the league) and shooting (73, above average). On the other hand, defense (3, among the weakest in the league) and possession (5, among the weakest in the league) hold him back.
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: finishing (+3.7); his biggest cost: EV defense (-3.6).
His WAR went from -0.2 in 2024-25 to 0.6.
Contract-wise, his Value score of 19 (very poor return) weighs his output against what he costs: 50 is what that salary should buy.
Oliver Kapanen's story
Born in Timrå on 29 July 2003 while his father Kimmo was playing there, Oliver Kapanen moved to Finland with his family in 2005 when Kimmo signed with KalPa. KalPa became the organization where Kapanen learned the game and rose through the youth ranks before turning professional.
Selected 64th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Kapanen made his professional debut for KalPa in 2021–22. After three seasons in Finland he opted to continue his development in Sweden, signing a two-year deal with Timrå IK on 9 May 2024.
On 15 June 2024 he signed a three-year entry-level contract with Montreal and made the club’s opening-night roster for 2024–25. He recorded his first NHL point with an assist in his debut on 10 October 2024. After 12 appearances he was loaned back to Timrå on 6 November 2024, where he produced 15 goals and 20 assists in 36 regular-season games before rejoining the Canadiens on 2 April 2025. Following Montreal’s 2025 playoff exit he was assigned to the AHL’s Laval Rocket for the Calder Cup playoffs and scored his first AHL goal—the game-winner—on 14 May in the North Division Final against the Rochester Americans.
Kapanen’s first NHL goal came on 8 October 2025, a shorthanded marker in the Canadiens’ season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs; the goal made him the fifth player in franchise history whose first NHL goal was shorthanded and the first since Chris Chelios in 1984. Internationally, he represented Finland at the 2021 IIHF U18 Championship, appeared at the World Junior Championships in 2022 (silver) and 2023, and took part in the Spengler Cup with KalPa in December 2023, registering an assist in the quarterfinal against Team Canada. He made his senior national-team debut at the 2024 IIHF World Championship in Prague, leading Finland with six goals. At the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan he saw limited action but skated in the bronze-medal game after an injury to Mikko Rantanen; Finland won 6–1.
A member of a prominent hockey family—grandson of Hannu Kapanen, son of Kimmo Kapanen, nephew of Sami Kapanen and cousin to Kasperi and Konsta Kapanen—Oliver’s game reflects steady development across European leagues and North American pro hockey, offering offensive production and adaptability down the middle.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 12:10
- PP TOI/GP
- 1:56
- SH TOI/GP
- 0:03
- Pts/GP
- 0.20
- EV points
- 2
- Hits
- 3
- Blocks
- 3
- Takeaways
- 2
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 58.0 %
- Off. zone starts
- 48.9 %
- Faceoffs
- 43.3 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
2026-27 projection
Projected points
29between 12 and 46 (80% range)
- Goals
- 15
- Assists
- 14
- Games
- 71
So far: 2 pts in 10 games. The team has played 17 of 84 games. Projected pace: 0.45 pts per game (last season: 0.45).
The projection follows last season's pace. Tested on 2,265 player seasons (2022-23 to 2025-26): average miss of 9 points over 82 games; for players at 0.9 points per game and up, it ran 5 points high on average.
This is only a projection. It knows nothing about injuries, trades or role changes; one player in five finishes outside the range.
Player ratings, 2025-26
All ratings →Fourteen ratings from 0 to 100 drawn from data, never by hand: 75 = established NHL player, 95+ = elite.
OV · OverallConfidence 57 %
60
Depth
- SK
- Skating
- 73
- Confidence 57 %
- ST
- Strength
- 70
- Confidence 62 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 75
- Confidence 50 %
- DU
- Durability
- 68
- Confidence 57 %
- CK
- Checking
- 67
- Confidence 62 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 74
- Confidence 38 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 67
- Confidence 62 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- 66
- Confidence 64 %
- PA
- Passing
- 65
- Confidence 57 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 81
- Confidence 57 %
- DF
- Defense
- 56
- Confidence 52 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 87
- Confidence 20 %
- EX
- Experience
- 57
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating73
- Top speed (35 %)36 · 72
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)6.614 · 78
- Distance /60 (20 %)16 · 63
- Speed consistency (15 %)35.6 · 77
ST — Strength70
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)3.635 · 70
- Body mass (50 %)-0.321 · 74
EN — Endurance75
- Ice time per game (45 %)14.3 · 72
- Total ice time (20 %)1,160 · 77
- Shift length (15 %)45.9 · 77
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)14 · 76
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)2.497 · 76
DU — Durability68
- Share of games played (100 %)0.76 · 68
CK — Checking67
- Hits /60 (70 %)2.505 · 66
- Lowest seasonal rate (20 %)2.863 · 73
- Season volume (10 %)3.497 · 64
FG — Fighting74
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)0.813 · 74
DI — Discipline67
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)-0.004 · 67
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)0.584 · 77
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)0.557 · 64
FO — Faceoffs66
- Faceoff % (85 %)47.4 · 66
- Faceoffs /60 (15 %)35.1 · 71
PA — Passing65
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.505 · 62
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.432 · 71
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)0.022 · 73
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)3.217 · 45
- Assist consistency (10 %)0.459 · 73
SC — Scoring81
- Goals /60 (25 %)1.005 · 82
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.864 · 80
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)0.266 · 82
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)1.343 · 78
- xG per shot (10 %)0.084 · 79
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)12.3 · 76
DF — Defense56
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)-0.143 · 55
- Relative xG against (20 %)0.399 · 49
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)3.077 · 47
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)0.057 · 84
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-1.35 · 76
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)59.2 · 68
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)3.335 · 86
PS — Penalty shot87
- Shootouts (60 %)35.1 · 89
- Penalty shots (40 %)26.7 · 76
EX — Experience57
- Career regular-season games (65 %)65
- Career playoff games (25 %)45
- NHL seasons (10 %)37
OV — Overall60
- SC · Scoring (20 %)81
- PA · Passing (20 %)65
- DF · Defense (20 %)56
- SK · Skating (12 %)73
- FO · Faceoffs (10 %)66
- EN · Endurance (8 %)75
- DI · Discipline (5 %)67
- ST · Strength (3 %)70
- CK · Checking (2 %)67
| Season | OV | SK | SC | DF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 60 | 73 | 81 | 56 |
| 2024-25 | 71 | 78 | 72 | 67 |
The bars show confidence (sample size), not player quality. — : not enough data, not a zero. Engine version 1.0.
WAR and PAL ratings, 2025-26
How we rate →PAL Rating scores performance from 0 to 100 against players at the same position (50 = average player), starting from the player's strength, offensive or defensive. Value Rating compares that performance with what the player costs: 50 means paid what the play is worth.
WAR
0.6
wins above replacement
221 of 615
PAL Rating
8/ 100
Performance · Very poor
435 of 476 at the position
Value Rating
19/ 100
Very poor return
0.93 M$ · expected PAL 36
ProfileBalancedNeither end dominates
- Offense
- 41
- Defense
- 8
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 52
- Creation
- 54
- Shooting
- 73
- Possession
- 5
- Defense
- 3
- Discipline
- 21
- Power play
- 6
- Penalty kill
- 94
From 0 to 100; 50 is the average player at the same position, adjusted for ice time.
Hockey IQ, 2025-26
Rankings and method →The quality of the player's decisions with and against the puck at 5-on-5, against regulars at the same position (50 = average). PAL measures output; IQ measures how the player plays.
Overall IQ
51/ 100
Average
better than 51% of forwards, offense and defense combined
Offensive IQ
50/ 100
Average
passing, shots, puck
Defensive IQ
50/ 100
Average
takeaways, discipline, own zone
Why 51, higher than both scores? Overall IQ isn't an average, it's a rank: 206 of 424 forwards. Few players are good at both ends at once; being so puts Oliver Kapanen ahead of almost everyone else.
See full detailsHide details
Offense
- Playmaking passes
- 16
- Shot selection
- 71
- Penalties drawn
- 9
- Puck management
- 95
Defense
- Takeaways
- 33
- Discipline
- 66
- Safe zone exits
- 46
Percentiles: 80 means better than 80% of regulars at the same position. Play without the puck (positioning, coverage) isn't measured: the NHL doesn't publish that data.
WAR, 2025-26
How it's calculated →Wins added to the team, compared with a replacement-level player called up from the AHL.
0.6
wins above replacement
-0.4 to 2.4 — 90% interval
221 of 615 forwards
+3.1 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- +0.0
- EV defense
- -3.6
- Power play
- +0.1
- Penalty kill
- +0.3
- Shooting
- +3.7
- Penalties
- -0.5
- Average → replacement
- +3.0
In goals.
| Season | Team | GP | WAR | 90% interval | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | MTL | 82 | 0.6 | -0.4 to 2.4 | 221/615 |
| 2024-25 | MTL | 14 | -0.2 | -0.4 to -0.1 | 512/596 |
Player tracking (NHL EDGE)
League EDGE leaderboards →Speed, shot power, distance covered, time by zone: measured by chips in the puck and shoulder pads. 90th percentile = better than 90% of players.
- Hardest shot
- 131.3 km/h48th percentileleague avg. 130.1 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 34.2 km/h24th percentileleague avg. 35.2 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 927th percentileleague avg. 21
- Offensive zone time
- 44.0 %72nd percentileleague avg. 43.1 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 30.9 km26th percentileleague avg. 52.2 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 4.04 km34th percentileleague avg. 4.52 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 42.5 %76th percentileleague avg. 42.4 %
- Neutral zone time
- 17.6 %29th percentileleague avg. 16.8 %
- Defensive zone time
- 38.4 %65th percentileleague avg. 40.1 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 1232nd percentile | 139th percentile | 8.3 %20th percentile |
| High danger | 433rd percentile | 034th percentile | 0.0 %10th percentile |
| Mid range | 442nd percentile | 054th percentile | 0.0 %32nd percentile |
| Long range | 031st percentile | 092nd percentile | 0.0 %0th percentile |
Shots on goal by zone
2026-2027 regular season. Measured by puck and player tracking chips; the percentile ranks the player within the league.
Game log, 2026-27
TOR
UTA
WPG
PIT
DAL
STL
CHI
SJS
BUFOliver Kapanen: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Oliver Kapanen have in 2026-27?
Oliver Kapanen has 1 goal and 2 points (1 assist) in 10 games in 2026-27.
How old is Oliver Kapanen?
Oliver Kapanen is 23 years old: he was born on July 29, 2003.
How tall is Oliver Kapanen, and how much does he weigh?
Oliver Kapanen is 6'2" (188 cm) and weighs 194 lb (88 kg).
Where is Oliver Kapanen from?
Sweden: Oliver Kapanen was born in Timra, Sweden.
What team does Oliver Kapanen play for?
Oliver Kapanen plays for the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL, at C, wearing number 91.
Is Oliver Kapanen injured?
No: Oliver Kapanen is not on the latest NHL injury report. This answer is updated throughout the season.
How good is Oliver Kapanen?
Oliver Kapanen produced 0.6 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025-26, 221st of 615 players at his position in the NHL. His PAL rating is 8 out of 100: very poor for his position.
How much does Oliver Kapanen make?
Oliver Kapanen earns $925K for the 2025-26 season. His Value Rating is 19 out of 100 (very poor return): it measures the on-field return for that salary, compared with players at his position.
When does Oliver Kapanen's contract end?
Oliver Kapanen's contract runs through the 2026-27 season; he will then be a restricted free agent.
Is Oliver Kapanen overpaid?
Yes, his output falls short of what his salary should buy. His Value rating is 19 out of 100 (very poor return), where 50 is the output expected for his salary, compared with players at his position.
Is Oliver Kapanen a top-10 player at his position?
No: by WAR, he ranks 221st of 615 players at his position in the NHL in 2025-26. Our comparison tool puts him side by side with any other player.
How has Oliver Kapanen played lately?
Over his last 10 games, Oliver Kapanen has 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist).
What are Oliver Kapanen's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Oliver Kapanen has 110 games, 23 goals, 18 assists and 41 points. His best season: 2025-26, with 37 points in 82 games.
Where was Oliver Kapanen drafted?
Oliver Kapanen was drafted 64th overall (round 2) by Montreal Canadiens in 2021.
Is Oliver Kapanen better at home or on the road?
No real difference: in 2026-27, he averages 0.20 points per game at home (1 in 5 games) and 0.20 on the road (1 in 5 games).
How does Oliver Kapanen perform in the playoffs?
In the playoffs, Oliver Kapanen has 10 games and 1 point in his career. His pace (0.10 points per game) is lower than his regular-season pace (0.37).
Which player is most similar to Oliver Kapanen?
Josh Anderson: he is the player at his position whose PAL profile (the 0-to-100 dimensions) is closest to his in 2025-26.
Josh Anderson's page →Is Oliver Kapanen a good fantasy pick?
Probably not, except in deep leagues: our projection has him at 29 points in 2026-27, or 0.41 points per game.
Is Oliver Kapanen related to anyone famous?
Yes: Hannu Kapanen (grandfather, former professional ice hockey player); Kimmo Kapanen (father, ice hockey player; was playing for Timrå IK and signed with KalPa; KalPa became Oliver's youth team); Jari Kapanen (great‑uncle); Sami Kapanen (uncle); Kasperi Kapanen (cousin); Konsta Kapanen (cousin).
What is Oliver Kapanen's nationality?
Oliver Kapanen is Finnish. Internationally: Finland — 2022 World Junior Championship: silver medal; 2024 IIHF World Championship (team-leading six goals); 2026 Winter Olympics: bronze medal.
How many championships has Oliver Kapanen won?
2: 2022 World Junior Championship silver medal with Finland; 2026 Winter Olympics bronze medal with Finland.
Where did Oliver Kapanen play before turning pro?
KalPa — youth team (family moved to Finland in 2005 and KalPa became his youth club); made his professional debut for KalPa in 2021–22.
How many points is Oliver Kapanen projected to score in 2026-27?
Our projection has him at 29 points in 71 games in 2026-27 (12 to 46 points, 80% interval), based on his recent seasons, age and role.
See also: his Montreal Canadiens teammates
Full roster →
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)