Failed Kapanen trade led to move to Pittsburgh!

Earlier today, the Toronto Maple Leafs made their first big trade of the offseason, sending forward Kasperi Kapanen, Jesper Lindgren and Pontus Aberg to Pittsburgh in exchange for the Penguins’ first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft (15th overall), forwards Evan Rodrigues and Filip Hallander and defenseman David Warsofsky.

However, it seems like Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas might have gone to plan B with this as insider Pierre LeBrun revealed in The Athletic that Kapanen was offered to the Montreal Canadiens. 

Yep, another Penguins - Canadiens battle, this time on the trade market, and Pittsburgh came out on top after losing to the Habs in the qualifying round of the series. 

LeBrun states that Habs general manager Marc Bervegin turned the offer down seeing that the Leafs were demanding a first round pick in their year’s draft and the Canadiens weren’t willing to part with theirs. 

That’s why instead Kapanen will be playing with the Penguins, and not the Canadiens. 

Kapanen’s name had surfaced more than once in trade rumours throughout the summer. He put up 13 goals and 36 points in 69 games for the Leafs this season, adding two more assists in five postseason contests against the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

The Habs might be on the hunt for a top forward once they get to move pieces around. However Kapanen is now returning to where it all started: he was the inaugural draft choice by Jim Rutherford, plucked off the board22nd overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

He never took part in a regular-season game for Pittsburgh before he was shipped to Toronto on July 1, 2015 with Scott Harrington and Nick Spaling in exchange for Phil Kessel, Tyler Biggs and Tim Erixon. 

This failed trade with Montreal ended up as a win for Pittsburgh.