The Toronto Maple Leafs announced that forward Kasperi Kapanen has suffered a concussion. There is no timetable for his return.
Maple Leafs forward Kasperi Kapanen, who missed last game for precautionary reasons, is listed out with a concussion.
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) March 13, 2019
Kasperi Kapanen Concussed
Kapanen was held out of Monday’s game vs the Tampa Bay Lightning for what the Leafs were calling precautionary reasons. We have now found out that it’s due to a concussion. There is no specific play on where Kapanen is believed to have suffered the concussion.
So far this season, Kapanen has scored 19 goals and 23 assists for 42 points to go along with 23 penalty minutes. His possession numbers are 52.6 percent Corsi and a relative Corsi of +2.3 percent.
Kapanen has spent his entire three-year career with the Leafs. He has 27 goals and 25 assists for 52 career points in 123 career games. The Pittsburgh Penguins originally drafted him in the first round, 22nd overall in the 2014 NHL Draft. He was traded to the Leafs in the Phil Kessel trade.
What This Means for the Future
For Kapanen, this is first full season with the Leafs and he’s putting up solid numbers for them on the second line this season. Kapanen has been a solid penalty killer for the Leafs and leads them with two short-handed goals on the season. With the Leafs currently sitting in the third spot in the Atlantic, they have an eight-point lead over the Montreal Canadiens. The Leafs will look to William Nylander to fill in on the second line in place of Kapanen. Since re-signing with the Leafs, Nylander has put up five goals and 12 assists for 17 points in 41 games. Hopefully, the move to the second line can help Nylander get his offensive game back. He put up at least 20 goals in the past two seasons with the Leafs.
On Monday night, forward Trevor Moore was added to the lineup on the fourth line. The 23-year-old rookie has a goal and six assists in seven games so far this season.
OTTAWA, ON – SEPTEMBER 18: Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Kasperi Kapanen (24) sets up for the faceoff during third period National Hockey League preseason action between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators on September 18, 2017, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
