Pittsburgh Penguins re-sign Kasperi Kapanen to two-year, $3.2-million AAV deal
The Penguins are keeping Kapanen.
The club has re-signed the 25-year-old RFA to a two-year, $3.2-million deal on Thursday. Drafted by the club in the first round of the 2014 draft, the Pens traded Kapanen to the Toronto Maple Leafs as part of the Phil Kessel trade in 2015.
The #LetsGoPens re-signed RFA F Kasperi Kapanen to 2 year $3.2M Cap Hit Deal.
Will be UFA on expiry.
11G 32P in 79 GP
Rep'd by Markus Lehto @wassermanhockey https://t.co/ldSNQsXeIs
Kapanen was re-acquired by the Pens in 2020 and has appeared in 119 games since. In them, he’s been a productive middle-six forward scoring 22 goals and 62 points. This past year, he found himself playing the most alongside Jeff Carter and Evan Rodrigues and scored 11 goals and 32 points in 79 games.
During the Pens’ playoff series against the New York Rangers, Kapanen appeared in all seven games scoring three assists, while playing 15:53 per night, a minute more than his regular season average.
With Kapanen on the ice at 5×5, the Penguins controlled 51.57 percent of the shot attempts, 55.22 percent of the goals scored and 52.37 percent of the expected goal share.
Kapanen had elected for arbitration this year, and his new deal will take him to free agency.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.