Penguins Bring Back Kasperi Kapanen, Send 2020 First Round Draft Pick To Toronto

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Forward Kasperi Kapanen is heading back to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

He was drafted by the team in 2014 and later traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs as part of the deal that brought Phil Kessel to Pittsburgh.

Canadian sports journalist Elliotte Friedman, with Hockey Night in Canada, first reported the trade on Twitter.

As part of the trade, the Penguins are getting Kapanen, Maple Leafs' defensive prospect Jesper Lindgren and forward Pontus Aberg. In return, the Maple Leafs get the Penguins' 2020 first round draft pick, forwards Evan Rodrigues and Filip Hallander and defenseman David Warsofsky.

The Penguins were set to pick 15th overall in this year's draft.

Kapanen, 24, of Kuopio, Finland, is signed through the 2021-2022 season and his contract carries an average annual value of $3.2 million.

Kapanen was drafted by the Pens in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft. He was traded to the Leafs on July 1, 2015.

In a news release, Pittsburgh Penguins General Manager Jim Rutherford says, "Kasperi is a good, young player that brings speed to our lineup and plays the way we want to play. Having previously drafted him, we know him as a player and feel he can improve our top-6. Aberg and Lindgren are both young players that will further add to our organizational depth."

In 202 career regular-season games, all with Toronto, Kapanen has 41 goals, 49 assists and 90 points.

Stay with KDKA for the latest on this developing story.

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