On the eve of the 2026-27 season opener, Montreal Canadiens centre Oliver Kapanen did not practice with his team and is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
The 23-year-old, who is set to enter his second full season in the NHL, centred Montreal’s second line between wingers Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov during training camp.
Kapanen scored 22 goals and 15 assists over 82 games in 2025-26 with the Canadiens, his first full season in the NHL after appearing in 18 games the year prior.
He played seven postseason games last spring, but didn’t record a point as the Canadiens reached the Eastern Conference Final where they fell to the eventual Stanley Cup winners in the Carolina Hurricanes.
A native of Timra, Sweden, Kapanen was selected by the Canadiens in the second round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
The Habs will take on the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday night in their season opener.
