Scouting Report: Kasperi Kapanen, RW, Kalpa (Finland)

Central Scouting Rank: 1 (European skaters)

Bio

2013-14 Stats

Overview

The top-rated European skater in the draft pool, Kapanen is an offensively gifted player who cut his teeth in the pro game playing alongside his father and former NHLer Sami Kapanen with SM-Liiga's KalPa. 

Unable to suit up for the gold-medal winning Finnish squad at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship because of a shoulder injury, Kapanen posted respectable numbers for KalPa despite toiling for a last-place club at a young age.

Kapanen possesses elite, game-breaking abilities; a strong skater, he excels at both ends of the ice with a dangerous combination of puck handling, passing and shooting skills.

Projected as a top-10 pick, Kapanen would be a good fit for offensively-starved teams such as the Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks. Don't be surprised, however, to see him land in Carolina, where his father played for six years. 

Pro Comparison

Patrick Kane, Ilya Kovalchuk

Scouts are saying

Goran Stubb, NHL Director of European Scouting

Kasperi Kapanen is one of the top European prospects for the draft in 2014. Good skater, excellent, smart moves around the net. Has a very good selection of shots -- a real sniper. 

He’s a good-skating wing and can also play center. He has a smooth and surprisingly fast style that has surprised many unsuspecting defensemen. His tricky puck skills and quick release have paid off in many games and he has good hand-eye coordination. He’s not overly physical, but does not shy away from rough situations. (via BlueJackets.NHL.com)

Craig Button, TSN

Kasperi is capable of playing in all situations. What separates him from others is his ability to make critical plays that help the team win. He can do it in all areas of the game.

Corey Pronman, ESPN

[Kapanen] is a dynamic offensive player ... a very good skater with a blistering first few steps and an above-average top gear. He sees the ice at a high-end level, and regularly makes all kinds of impressive passes. His ability to generate through his own skills and to set up others is what puts him here. Kapanen also has a good shot, and works hard in battles. He needs to work on his defense, and is undersized (6-0, 181 pounds) but is pretty strong.

Highlights