Oliver Kapanen will have to wait a bit longer to return to the Montreal Canadiens lineup.
The centreman, who returned to Montreal after he spent the majority of the season in the SHL on loan to Timra IK, will not slot into the lineup against the Boston Bruins on Thursday, per Sportsnet's Eric Engels.
He further reports that head coach Martin St. Louis is not making any changes to his lineup that won two consecutive games against the defending champion Florida Panthers.
The 21-year-old made the Canadiens' opening-night roster in October, but was loaned back to his SHL team after being usurped on the depth chart.
He played 12 games this season for the Canadiens prior to his return to Europe, recording two assists. In 36 games since returning to Timra IK, Kapanen recorded 15 goals and 20 assists.
Kapanen was selected 64th overall by the Canadiens at the 2021 NHL Draft.
Montreal currently sits in a playoff position — second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference — for the first time since their Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.
Watch the Canadiens face off against their Original Six rival Boston Bruins as they look to pad their playoff position on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ starting at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.
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