Oliver Kapanen has been the talk of the town in recent weeks. Like it or not, he’s solidified his place in the team’s second line. He plays excellent hockey with Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov on his wings.
Beyond his offensive contribution, he is defensively responsible and good in the face-off circle.
As Kevin Dubé of the Journal de Montréal reports, Kapanen is the NHL’s third-best rookie in the face-off circle so far this season. The list was published by the NHL website.
An increasingly complete player, who nevertheless has a small flaw https://t.co/bHZ7gem9Zf
– TVA Sports (@TVASports) January 12, 2026
He took 458 and won 199. Only rookies who took more than 350 face-offs were considered for this ranking.
He’s still dragging his feet when compared to his teammates with the Habs, but it’s still encouraging that he’s among the top rookies, especially when you consider that he’s rubbing shoulders with the best opposing players night after night.
Justin Sourdif, Ryan Greene, and Noah Laba, who are also mentioned in the article, don’t have as much responsibility as Kapanen, which makes the young Finnish player’s ranking even more impressive.
Will he be the Habs’ second center for the long term? Time will tell, but one thing’s for sure: for him to become one, he’ll have to prove he can win his share of face-offs. That’s what Kirby Dach was accused of when he got his chance in recent years. He couldn’t win the important face-offs to get out of or into the enemy’s territory.
Overtime
– Very cool!
The Red Wings are rocking white skates for warmups in honor of Sergei Fedorov’s jersey retirement
The best part is they used white tape on each skate for this look
(via: @NHL)pic.twitter.com/M3TvzrR2SZ
– BarDown (@BarDown) January 13, 2026
– He’s playing great!
Arber Xhekaj is THE 2026 NHL LEADER (last 6 games) in checking.
He was in high spirits this morning when I met him.
“Yes, I feel like I’m getting more and more like myself,” he told me.
Interview.
https://t.co/Qof2pMzizh
– Anthony Martineau (@Antho_Martineau) January 13, 2026
– Quite an entrance!
Grand entrance Sergei Fedorov in a Corvette pic.twitter.com/9XUbpNzTHp
– Ken Kal (@KenKalDRW) January 12, 2026
