On Wednesday, the Montreal Canadiens announced they are loaning forward Oliver Kapanen to Timrå IK in the Swedish Hockey League. The team also stated that they are recalling forward Lucas Condotta from their American Hockey League affiliate, the Laval Rocket.
This marks Kapanen’s first professional season in North America. He has played in 12 of the Canadiens’ 13 games, recording his first NHL point with an assist during his debut against the Boston Bruins on October 10 and adding another assist in a recent overtime loss to the Calgary Flames. He has averaged 11:38 of ice time with a plus/minus of -4.
The 21-year-old had high expectations entering his rookie season after being selected in the second round, 64th overall, in the 2021 NHL Draft. He was known for his scoring ability while playing for Kalpa in Finland’s Liiga and signed a three-year entry-level contract with Montreal this past June.
However, Kapanen’s transition has not gone as smoothly as hoped. Although he averaged 12-13 minutes of ice time in his first 11 games, he logged less than eight minutes against Calgary. The decision to loan him back to Sweden aims to provide him with more significant playing time to help him develop into the player the Canadiens envision.
Timrå is currently in eighth place in the SHL standings with a record of 8-8 and will next play against HV71 on November 14.
Meanwhile, Condotta, who is the captain of the Rocket, has focused solely on the AHL this season, tallying four assists in nine games. At 27 years old, he has spent his entire career within the Montreal organization, having played only three games for the Canadiens last season. In four total NHL appearances, he has scored one goal during his debut in the 2022-23 season.
The Canadiens currently sit at the bottom of the Atlantic Division with a record of 4-7-2, totaling 10 points and a .385 winning percentage. They are set to face the New Jersey Devils in Newark on Thursday night.
