One of the bigger criticisms of Kasperi Kapanen's game in his short-lived first stint in the Penguins organization was his weak defensive game.
Looking back at Dejan's column on Kapanen from Kapanen's first training camp, he wrote that Kapanen needed to continue to "focus on his backchecking," and that "there were times in that scrimmage when he’d get lost if he didn’t have the puck."
After Kapanen was re-acquired by the Penguins this summer, he was asked how his game has changed during his time in Toronto, and he pointed to the growth in his two-way game.
"When I was drafted I was kind of one-dimensional," he said. "I loved to play on offense, with the puck. Everything else was kind of lacking for me, especially to make that hop to the NHL. I got traded to Toronto and they put me through the AHL process, which looking back on, I'm now grateful for. I'm very grateful that I played with the Marlies for such a long time, so I know how to defend better, which I need to do and still need to be working on. I've been playing the penalty kill for the last three years. I've been more physical and I've been trying to be more gritty."
Kapanen will start next season in the Penguins' top six, possibly on the top line alongside Jake Guentzel and Sidney Crosby.
Mike Sullivan often talks about the benefits of completing the first line with a well-rounded player who does the "little things" right. Whenever he was asked last season for his rationale in putting Dominik Simon on the top line, he always cited Simon's two-way play.
Looking at the data from past seasons, that third player on the top line is often someone who is strong at backchecking and forces a lot of turnovers. In 2019-20, Simon averaged 2.79 takeaways per 60 minutes of five-on-five ice time, the second-best rate on the team. In 2018-19, when Simon spent more time on that top line, he averaged 2.27 takeaways per 60 minutes, the fourth-best on the team. In 2017-18, when Conor Sheary was in that spot, he averaged 2.02 takeaways, the second-most of any player who spent the full season in Pittsburgh that year.
Kapanen will look to complement Guentzel and Crosby in that same way, albeit ideally with more offensive production than someone like Simon.
In his last two seasons, Kapanen's takeaway rate was pretty close to the numbers above: 1.76 in 2019-20, and 1.9 in 2018-19.
Looking at film from last season, we can also see more defensive efforts that don't get counted along with those takeaway stats. In this October game against the Canadiens, a backchecking Kapanen skates up the left side of the ice and knocks Max Domi off the puck to break up a two-on-one and send play in the opposite direction:
In another game against the Canadiens in February, Kapanen lifts the stick of Jonathan Drouin and swats the puck away to force another turnover to break up a rush:
Kapanen's incredible speed is an asset in this role, too. A great example of that speed is this backcheck in a November game in the 2018-19 season against the Penguins. Kapanen chases down Carl Hagelin, one of the fastest skaters in the game, and lifts Hagelin's stick to prevent him from getting a shot off:
Toronto's game a month later in Tampa has a good example of Kapanen's two-way game coming together. A Leafs player dumps the puck into the Lightning's zone. Victor Hedman, who is a good five inches and 30 pounds bigger than Kapanen, gets to the puck first and positions his body to to fend off Kapanen and protect the puck. Kapanen knocks Hedman off the puck to keep the puck in the zone. The Leafs turn the puck over, but Kapanen picks off a pass from Nikita Kucherov seconds later to score:
If Kapanen can bring a strong two-way game to the top line and produce more than his immediate predecessors in that role, then the first line looks to be in good shape for next season.
