Canadiens: Sneaky Way To Send Kapanen To Laval?

Journalist Marco D’Amico told us on rg.org this morning there is a loophole in the IIHF Transfer Agreement which could allow the Montreal Canadiens to send Oliver Kapanen down to Laval eventually.

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Turns out that since Kapanen has made the roster to start the season, if he spends 60 consecutive days with the Canadiens (time spent on the injured reserve wouldn’t count if he was injured at one stage) Montreal could send him down to Laval without needing Timra IK’s approval. Habs’ GM Kent Hughes being a lawyer, there’s no doubt he knows the IIHF Transfer Agreement like the back of his hand.

Does that mean he will use the loophole exposed in D’Amico’s article? I doubt it and for two reasons. If Kapanen signed a contract with Timra IK on top of signing his entry-level contract, it’s not because he wanted to be sent to the AHL. Granted, it’s not his decision, but Hughes prides himself on being up front with his players and working with them rather than telling them “Whatever I say goes”.

He has told the media in the past he doesn’t want Montreal to get a reputation of burying their veterans in the AHL once they started declining. Hughes is building a great culture in Montreal and he wants players to get the word out out there of how much of a respectful organization this is. I struggle to see him send Kapanen to Laval like that, unless of course he speaks to him and he’s fine with it.

Related: Canadiens: Why Isn’t Oliver Kapanen On the Rookie Camp Roster?

Furthermore, it’s all well and good to keep him around right now to have a closer look at what he has to offer, but at 21-years-old, Kapanen needs to play. Keeping him on standby for 60 days playing him now and then wouldn’t be the best way forward for his development.

Of course, there’s always a danger in letting a prospect development out of your control, you don’t have to look very far to have a prime example, just look at what’s going on with Ivan Demidov right now. However, if Olli Jokinen was serious by saying he would get first line ice-time and play on both special units, he would truly benefit from that, even if it is on international ice sized rinks.

Related: Where Is The Ice Time For Canadiens Prospect In The KHL?

We’ll see in the coming weeks what the future brings for Kapanen, but a decision will eventually have to be made, especially once Patrik Laine comes back.

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