Canadiens’ Oliver Kapanen to make season debut against Sabres

The Montreal Canadiens will get a boost to their lineup.

The team announced on social media that forward Oliver Kapanen and defenseman David Reinbacher will make their 2026-27 regular-season debuts Saturday night when they host the Buffalo Sabres at the Bell Centre.

Kapanen, 23, is coming off a 2025-26 rookie campaign that saw him finish with 22 goals and 15 assists for 37 points and was a key reason for the team’s run to the Eastern Conference Final. But a lower-body injury curbed his start to the current season.

Taken by the Canadiens in the second round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Kapanen found offensive success in both Sweden and Finland’s top domestic leagues. In 2024-25, he had 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points in 36 games with TIMra IK in the SHL.

As for Reinbacher, 21, the right-handed defender has two assists in four appearances this season with Montreal’s AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket. Through parts of four AHL seasons, Reinbacher has nine goals and 27 assists for 36 points in 82 career regular-season games.

Reinbacher was taken No. 5 overall by the Canadiens in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. He played for Kloten HC in Switzerland’s top domestic league for two seasons, and in 2023-24 he recorded one goal and 10 assists for 11 points in 35 contests.

The Canadiens are 3-3-1 through their first seven games this season. After Saturday’s game against the Sabres, Montreal will host the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, then head out west for a four-game road trip which will start with a Friday-night matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks.