Kapanen dealing with immigration issue
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan planned to open training camp with newcomer Kasperi Kapanen skating on the top line alongside Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel.
Just one problem: Kapanen is still in Finland.
An immigration issue has prevented the Penguins’ new winger from traveling to the United States ahead of training camp, general manager Jim Rutherford told the Post-Gazette.
Rutherford said the club doesn’t yet know for certain when Kapanen will arrive or when he’ll be available to play. Per NHL rules, players who travel to take part in training camp will have to go through a seven-day quarantine that includes COVID-19 testing on Days 1, 3, 5 and 7. So once Kapanen arrives in the states, he’ll be sidelined at least another week.
Training camp is set to begin Sunday. The season begins Jan. 13 in Philadelphia. Asked if there’s a chance Kapanen could miss the start of the regular season, Rutherford said he doesn’t know the answer at this time.
“He’s skating and getting ready,” Rutherford said. “Hopefully, we get him here
sooner than later.”
It is fair to wonder how this speedbump will impact Kapanen’s transition to a new club. Sullivan said last week the Penguins will not be able to cover every aspect of their team concept during the brief camp that will include about seven practices and a game-simulation day.
With Kapanen out, Bryan Rust is the top right winger on the depth chart.
However, he was originally projected to play alongside Evgeni Malkin. It remains to be seen how Sullivan will choose to fill that hole in the short or long term. Some other options might include lefty Brandon Tanev (who typically plays on Teddy Blueger’s right side), Evan Rodrigues or Sam Lafferty. How Sullivan addresses the absence may begin to hint at if this is a short-term question or one that could linger.
The Penguins initially acquired Kapanen in August from Toronto in exchange for a package that included a 2020 firstround pick and prospect Filip Hallander. Kapanen, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound right winger, became an NHL regular in 201819, tallying 44 points (20 goals, 24 assists) in 78 NHL games. The breakout year earned him a three-year bridge deal that runs through 2021-22 with a $3.2 million average annual value.
But during this year’s pandemic-shortened season, Kapanen went through what he termed a bit of a “sophomore slump.” He recorded a solid 36 points but was missing some of the scoring touch with 13 goals and 23 assists.
The Penguins are betting that production will improve when he’s skating in the top-six. But first, he’ll have to get here.
The other 22 forwards, 13 defensemen and four goalies listed on the camp roster are all in the United States and should be ready to participate. The one exception is Zach Aston-Reese, who will be limited as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery.