Ryan Wilson: Kasperi Kapanen Impresses Penguins At Prospect Camp Kasperi Kapanen Impresses Penguins At Prospect Camp

Anyone else notice that when talking to the media, Kapanen has a bit of Orpik Crazy Eyes in him?

Anyone else notice that when talking to the media, Kapanen has a bit of Orpik Crazy Eyes in him?

- rival22

true.

Billy G is one fun dude. Hard not to laugh.

I wonder If Kasperi is friends with Olli Määttä. That could help on his development.

An undrafted kid who put up numbers in the Q.....says a lot about the q. Soft hockey. The ohl is better and more competitive than the ahl

An undrafted kid who put up numbers in the Q.....says a lot about the q. Soft hockey. The ohl is better and more competitive than the ahl
- Jordy8

Do You mean te OHL is more competitive than the QMJHL? That would be more accurate.

I wonder at the end of the day what the plan is with Kapenen? I wonder if he'll get 9 games to show something? Obviously if he could stick it would be a huge benefit to the team. But obviously I wouldn't want him to burn a year if he isn't ready.

I haven't heard anything about the QMJHL player till now. Did we draft him or sign him?

Do You mean te OHL is more competitive than the QMJHL? That would be more accurate.
- Barnaby36

Yes lol I think the ohl is the second best league going

I think this lineup is extremely strong if Kapenen could make it...

Kunitz - Crosby - Dupuis
Hornqvist - Malkin - Kapenen
Bennett - Sutter - Downie
Spalding - Goc - Comeau
Adams

Martin - Letang
Erhoff - Maata
Despres - Scudari
Bortozzo - Doumalin
Harrington - Pouliet

Fleury - Greiss
Zatkoff

Otherwise I think you have to look at Penner, Mueller, or Booth or to trade Martin or Sutter for a 1/2 line wing

Yes lol I think the ohl is the second best league going
- Jordy8

Yeah, that just isn't true. Sure there might be that high end talent that skips over the AHL and heads right to the NHL, but most players in OHL won't ever be AHL regulars.

Yeah, that just isn't true. Sure there might be that high end talent that skips over the AHL and heads right to the NHL, but most players in OHL won't ever be AHL regulars.
- Ryan_Wilson

Yeah. We all know the WHL is the best of the Jr. leagues.

Yeah. We all know the WHL is the best of the Jr. leagues.
- Ben37

I would actually agree. The WHL will never have the flashy scoring players to the same degree of the other 2 junior leagues, but it seems that a lot of WHL players have that farm boy strength that has them more prepared to be able to handle the pro game.

On Kapanen, he MAY be able to play with the Pens this year, and he'll likely get a shot in training camp. That said, the Pens should not be counting on him being a big contributor.

Yeah, that just isn't true. Sure there might be that high end talent that skips over the AHL and heads right to the NHL, but most players in OHL won't ever be AHL regulars.
- Ryan_Wilson

Ya but when you trim the fat if you can excell there the chances of you succeeding at the next level are far greater than any other league or college

I think this lineup is extremely strong if Kapenen could make it...

Kunitz - Crosby - Dupuis
Hornqvist - Malkin - Kapenen
Bennett - Sutter - Downie
Spalding - Goc - Comeau
Adams

Martin - Letang
Erhoff - Maata
Despres - Scudari
Bortozzo - Doumalin
Harrington - Pouliet

Fleury - Greiss
Zatkoff

Otherwise I think you have to look at Penner, Mueller, or Booth or to trade Martin or Sutter for a 1/2 line wing
- crebar

Crebar, it's Kapanen. Not Kapenen, not Kaspenin. KAPANEN.

For all the rest: it's not Spalding or Spalling. It's SPALING. Haha

Ya but when you trim the fat if you can excell there the chances of you succeeding at the next level are far greater than any other league or college
- Jordy8

Sign BOOTH already. He'd add to our lineup and could jump lines like Stempniak did for us.
I have a feeling Booth would be awesome with Malkin or Crosby.

Sign BOOTH already. He'd add to our lineup and could jump lines like Stempniak did for us.
I have a feeling Booth would be awesome with Malkin or Crosby.
- Barnaby36

If he passes a physical YES! preferably a physical not conducted by penguins doctors

I would actually agree. The WHL will never have the flashy scoring players to the same degree of the other 2 junior leagues, but it seems that a lot of WHL players have that farm boy strength that has them more prepared to be able to handle the pro game.


- jmatchett383

For a long time the WHL was considered the "Goon" league of the CHL. Even the guys who were drafted for their skill had to learn to play a rougher brand of hockey and overtime it evolved into a brand of physical two way hockey. It's why a lot of the top end guys who come from the WHL are guys like Getzlaf, E. Kane, and Milan Lucic.

Then the defensemen have to be guys who can handle those types of forwards so they started to develope your Shea Webers, Brent Seabrooks, even big Zdeno Chara spent time in the WHL.

I wonder at the end of the day what the plan is with Kapenen? I wonder if he'll get 9 games to show something?
- crebar

I think this is the general plan. Assuming he shows well in camp, give him 9 games and see what happens. His presence in the top 6 would add significant depth down the lineup.

Ryan Wilson: Kasperi Kapanen Impresses Penguins At Prospect Camp
Kasperi Kapanen Impresses Penguins At Prospect Camp
- Ryan_Wilson

Adam French won't like this.

Crebar, it's Kapanen. Not Kapenen, not Kaspenin. KAPANEN.

For all the rest: it's not Spalding or Spalling. It's SPALING. Haha
- Barnaby36

Thanks for the spelling lesson. I am not really concerned about that, just getting opinions. But thanks! I missed both names by a letter so thanks for the shaming.

Thanks for the spelling lesson. I am not really concerned about that, just getting opinions. But thanks! I missed both names by a letter so thanks for the shaming.
- crebar

The dog days of Summer.

I'm still hung up on how we could have gotten Stemp for 900k... or maybe 2 years at 1 mil each... hes not an answer to the possible issues in the top 6, but no one would argue against having him.

I'm still hung up on how we could have gotten Stemp for 900k... or maybe 2 years at 1 mil each... hes not an answer to the possible issues in the top 6, but no one would argue against having him.
- Guile

See my thing is that having Stemp in the lineup would tempt the staff to play him in the top 6 and keep Bennett down on the third line. I think that during this season it is imperative to give Bennett significant top 6 minutes to see if he actually is a potential answer moving forward. Keeping him on the third line (if he proves he can produce and play a high level of hockey) is detrimental to his development and we will never be able to answer the BB question of whether or not he's Crosby's (or Geno's) right winger of the future.

I would also much rather have a healthy Duper on Crosby's wing than Stemp, so I wouldn't be for signing him and moving Dupuis down. I just don't know, I think our bottom 6 is strong enough now that we don't really need Stempniak, and having him on the roster will just make lineup decisions confusing.

I'm still hung up on how we could have gotten Stemp for 900k... or maybe 2 years at 1 mil each... hes not an answer to the possible issues in the top 6, but no one would argue against having him.
- Guile

Don't beat yourself up, it's possible he didn't want to come back.

Don't beat yourself up, it's possible he didn't want to come back.
- nelson911

See, that's where you are wrong... EVERY player wants to play here, and if they took a low amount of money to play somewhere else, we just must not have made an offer to him.

See, that's where you are wrong... EVERY player wants to play here, and if they took a low amount of money to play somewhere else, we just must not have made an offer to him.
- rival22

EXACTLY!