Do Not Trade Kasperi Kapanen

Hello,

I’m That’s Kappy, and this is article is a certified Conflict Of Interest™.

In case you’re less online than me, I’ll brief you on my schtick. I tweet “That’s Kappy” when Kasperi Kapanen scores goals.

That’s… really it. There are other bad tweets too, but that’s the heart and soul of my Twitter presence. Others join in on the fun, too.

You get the point.

I enjoy tweeting “That’s Kappy” essentially whenever the opportunity arises, and others do, too. But as much as I’d like others to join in on the fun, I’d much rather be able to tweet about Kasperi Kapanen scoring goals for the Toronto Maple Leafs than half-heartedly setting my phone to notify me when Kappy scores goals for the Carolina Hurricanes.

Would I like Brett Pesce on my hockey team? Sure. Do I also like it when Andreas Johnsson plays for my hockey team? Absolutely. I might even go as far to say that Andreas Johnsson may already be a better player than Kasperi Kapanen, and yet I wouldn’t hesitate to trade the former before moving the latter.

First off, I would rather move Johnsson because the twitter account pictured above NEVER mentions Andreas Johnsson, so I’m not feeling too optimistic about him tweeting “That’s Johnny!” at just the right time.

Beyond that, Andreas Johnsson scores goals – hat tricks against former teammates, capitalizing off cross-crease feeds while inexplicably playing on the fourth line, and everything in between. But Kasperi Kapanen scores goals. 

Clutch Goals:

Fun Goals:

Breakaway Goals:

What percentage of Kasperi Kapanen’s goals make you jump out of your seat? Kapanen might honestly be in elite territory in that department. And considering this is still somehow his first full NHL season, there’s a lot left for Kasperi Kapanen to show. I, personally, would love to see him wow us as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey club.

Because this is all well and good:

But there’s another Blue and White jersey that would make this photo a whole lot sweeter.

Kasperi Kapanen is exactly the type of player you want on your team during a deep playoff run. He’s proven himself in back-to-back postseasons to have game-breaking potential when he suddenly turns it on, and as seasons run long and playoff runs deepen, Kapanen’s speed and clutch style of play could easily be a difference-maker.

With the February 25th trade deadline looming, consider this an open letter to Kyle Dubas and the Toronto Maple Leafs: there’s one “That’s Kappy!” tweet I’m still itching to make one day, and I’d love to see it happen.