Kapanen's controversy sent shockwaves down the league last season as the Finnish hockey player was arrested for aggravated drunk driving.
After the arrest, Kasperi Kapanen issued an official statement, apologizing to the NHL for his action.
The Edmonton Oilers are no strangers to acquiring controversial players. They took a gamble on signing Evander Kane after being reprimanded for online gambling, including signing former Chicago Blackhawks forward Corey Perry whose contract was terminated by the team.
Now, GM Stan Bowman is facing some backlash for signing Kapanen, with some fans outraged that the young forward is getting another shot on an NHL team.
Although Kapanen has shown glimpses of offensive brilliance in the past, his game has been extremely stagnant as of late, scoring just 7 goals in 80+ regular season games.
Kapanen has been part of the NHL for more than a decade with stopovers with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins and the St Louis Blues.
Bowman feels that he will help bring pace to their game especially in their middle and bottom 6 as Kapanen has been touted to have good speed in his skating.
As it stands, the Oilers are taking another huge gamble on a "Maverick", but it could pay off in a massive way. Will Kapanen's story be a Cinderella comeback in Edmonton? Time will tell.
POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 20 | 269 ANSWERS NHL fans are outraged by Stan Bowman's newest signing Do you think signing Kasperi Kapanen was a bad move by Stan Bowman?` | ||
Yes | 82 | 30.5 % |
No | 187 | 69.5 % |
List of polls |