Blues Place Struggling Forward on Waivers

After a tough start to the year, the St. Louis Blues placed one of their struggling forwards on waivers.

Dec 23, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Blues right wing Kasperi Kapanen (42) controls the puck against the Chicago Blackhawks during the second period at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Blues made a slightly surprising move as the team approaches their 20th game of the season. The team is sitting near the bottom of the Central Division with a record of 8-10-1, staring up at the likes of the Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars, and Minnesota Wild.

Needing a bit of a change, the Blues announced that forward Kasperi Kapanen has been placed on waivers. The 28-year-old will now either be sent to the AHL or claimed by another NHL organization. Insider Elliotte Friedman first shared the news of his demotion on his X account.

Kapanen (STL) on waivers

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) November 18, 2024

Kapanen was in the middle of his third season with the Blues. He joined the team after the Pittsburgh Penguins placed him on waivers during the 2022-2023 season. He was red-hot when joining St. Louis, scoring 14 points over the final 23 games of the campaign.

Last season was a struggle again for Kapanen. Despite some offensive flashes, he never found consistency. Over 73 games, he finished with six goals and 22 points.

Kapanen has had a very strange career. Originally drafted by the Penguins in the first round of the 2014 draft, he was the centerpiece of the team's trade for Phil Kessel in 2015. The Pens shipped Kapanen and a slew of other assets to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for beloved goal scorer, who would go on to capture two Stanley Cups with the Penguins.

Kapanen recorded his best offensive season as a member of the Maple Leafs. During the 2018-2019 season, he notched 20 goals, added 24 assists, and finished with 44 points over 78 games.

Prior to the 2020-2021 season, the Penguins and Kapanen reunited. In a full-circle moment, the Pens sent a first round pick to the Maple Leafs to re-acquire the speedy winger. He scored 11 goals and 30 points over his first 40 games, but things quickly went downhill afterwards before ending up with the Blues.

Now on waivers again, Kapanen may be running out of options. If another NHL team is interested in a veteran forward with 470 career NHL games and 209 points, the former first round pick could wind up in a new NHL uniform before long.

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