Kapanen comes home to the Penguins

Be careful what you wish for….

This just in, Kasperi Kapanen is back in the ‘burgh. In mt previous post, I noted that I would trade my personal favorite, Matt Murray to the Toronto Maple Leafs if I could get Kapanen back in return.

Guess what, it didn’t cost the Penguins Murray. Jim Rutherford pried former Penguins 1st round pick Kapanen as well as Defensemen Jesper Lindgren and Winger Pontus Åberg for Penguins 1st round Pick this year (Which means we won’t see a 1st round pick until 2022, since the Minnesota Wild has our pick for next year) as well as Evan Rodrigues (sorry Caleb), Filip Hållander, and David Warsofsky.

Kapanen is 23 years old, 6’-1”, 192 lbs. He has scored 41 Goals (G), and 90 Points (Pnts) in 202 Games Played (GP) for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He now comes full circle back to the team that drafted him.

Lindgren is a 23-year-old, 6’-0”, 176lb, Right-Handed Defenseman (RHD). He had 1 G and 10 Pnts in 31 Games Played for the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. Curtis Joe of Elite Prospects wrote of him, “Jesper Lindgren, an impressive blend of skill, speed, determination, and intelligence, is the one player you don’t want to see carrying the puck if you are his adversary. The nimble puck-carrying defenseman plays above his age, and is confident enough in his abilites to make creative plays under pressure. He is poised with the puck and possesses a high level of hockey sense; he is always aware of what is unfolding in the play, and never seems to make irrational decisions or bend under adversity. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in spirit and cunning. However, he doesn’t shy away from puck battles, and will use his body to barge his way in and swoop out with the puck. All-in-all, a talented offensive blueliner who plays an adaptive, new-age style of hockey.”

Åberg is 26 years old, 5’-11”, and 196 lbs. He is a right-handed shot that can play both Wings. He has 132 GP in the NHL spending time with the Nashville Predators, Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, and Toronto Maple Leafs. In his 132 GP he has 17 G and 44 Pnts.

Welcome back to you Kapanen, and welcome for the first time to you Åberg and Lindgren.

I hope you get a chance to play with Sidney Crosby, Kapanen.

Lingren? You may get a chance to play by default.