Oilers claim Kapanen off waivers from Blues

St. Louis Blues winger Kasperi Kapanen during action against against the host Nashville Predators on April 4, 2024. (Mark Zaleski/Associated Press)

A veteran of 470 National Hockey League games is joining the Edmonton Oilers.

The Oilers claimed winger Kasperi Kapanen off waivers from the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.

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Kapanen, who has scored a goal in 10 games while averaging 11:16 of ice time per game this season, joins his fourth NHL team.

The 28-year-old Finn has also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Pittsburgh Penguins, who selected him in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft.

The son of former NHLer Sami Kapanen made his NHL debut in 2015 after the Penguins traded him to the Maple Leafs. He has 85 goals and 124 assists for 209 points over his career.

His most-productive offensive season came with the Maple Leafs in 2018-19, when he scored 20 goals and 44 points in 78 games. Kapanen scored six goals and 22 points in 73 Blues games last season.

The move comes after the Oilers lost Monday to the host Montreal Canadiens, who were ranked 31st out of 32 in the NHL in goals-against per game (3.89, with the Penguins last at 3.90) heading into the eventual 3-0 shutout decision.

It also comes with forward Viktor Arvidsson out of action. The top-six winger, who has scored two goals and three assists in 16 games this season, has missed the last three games with an undisclosed injury. Arvidsson, 31, signed a two-year, $8-million contract with the Oilers in July.

The Oilers are also grappling with the loss of defenceman Darnell Nurse from the lineup. Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said Monday Nurse, who was hurt Saturday in Toronto after a hit to the head by Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves, will be out of action for five-to-10 days.

Edmonton finishes its three-game road trip in eastern Canada Tuesday night against the Senators in Ottawa (5 p.m. MT.)

The Oilers are ranked 24th in the NHL in goals-for per game (2.63) through 19 games played this season. They'd been among the Top 10 the previous four seasons, including fourth (3.56) in 2023-24 and first (3.96) in 2022-23.

Stars Leon Draisaitl (13 goals in 19 games) and Connor McDavid (seven in 16) lead Edmonton in goal scoring, followed by defencemen Evan Bouchard and Brett Kulak with four each and forwards Zach Hyman, Jeff Skinner, Connor Brown and Corey Perry with three each.

In picking up Kapanen, who is making US$1-million per season and is slated to be an unrestricted free agent next summer, the Oilers placed injured Evander Kane on long-term injury reserve.