Coming off the heels of the Patrick Marleau trade, TSN’s Bob McKenzie announced that the Toronto Maple Leafs and pending restricted free agent forward Kasperi Kapanen were close to agreeing on an extension. The extension is a three-year deal with an average annual value between $3.2 and 3.4 million.
In 2018-19, Kapanen had 20 goals and 44 points in 78 games. He added an additional goal and assist in seven playoff games. In 133 games across four seasons with the Maple Leafs, he has 28 goals and 54 points. He was originally a first-round pick (22nd overall) of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2014 Draft. The Maple Leafs acquired him in the July 2015 trade that sent Phil Kessel to the Penguins.
Kapanen was one of several key RFAs the Maple Leafs have to make decisions on this offseason as they face what will likely be a cap crunch. Once this deal is finalized, general manager Kyle Dubas can turn his attention to the others: Mitch Marner and Andreas Johnsson. Stay tuned to The Hockey Writers for the latest breaking news involving the draft, trades, and free agency.