Kapanen’s Rookie Year Showed Flashes, Then Disappeared

Oliver Kapanen’s first NHL season had the kind of uneven scoring that keeps coaches reaching for the next line chart. The quiet postseason only sharpened the questions, because rookies are judged just as much by how they hold up when the games tighten. That does not mean the book is written, but it does mean the early read comes with both promise and caution. For a young player trying to stick, the next step matters more than the first impressions.