Mark Madden: When needed most, Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen just can't turn the corner

When Mike Sullivan occasionally benched winger Kasperi Kapanen last season, I thought then that the Penguins coach overreacted. Just let Kapanen play.

Now I don’t understand why Sullivan hasn’t yet benched Kapanen this season.

Injuries leave little choice in that regard. But Kapanen’s career to date has been a bust, even more so the current campaign.

Kapanen is 25 and a former first-round pick. But he’s never topped 20 goals in a season and has been traded twice. Kapanen is no prospect anymore. He should be reaching whatever level he’s going to settle in at, and he probably is. Kapanen is betraying his pedigree.

Kapanen doesn’t stink. He’s mid.

But in the absence of injured forwards Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jeff Carter and Bryan Rust, Kapanen’s game hasn’t displayed any extra urgency, let alone a different gear.

Kapanen just goes out there and gets his shift over with. Punch the clock, zero impact, rinse and repeat. That was certainly his method in Thursday’s 4-0 home loss to Calgary.

In seven games, 14 different players have scored for the Penguins. Kapanen hasn’t.

The Penguins have 24 goals in seven games, seventh-most in the league. Somebody’s scoring.

But Kapanen isn’t even getting chances: He’s got the lowest expected goal total among the Penguins’ forwards.

Kapanen also has the lowest goal total: A big, fat goose egg after seven games.

Sure, injuries have denied Kapanen a legit top-six center this season. But he’s been on the top power play, which couldn’t score in 101 seconds with a two-man advantage Tuesday.

Kapanen often had a top-six center last season, like Malkin. Kapanen still only had 11 goals in 40 games.

Kapanen has spent his career with Toronto and Pittsburgh, teams lousy with top-six stars. When he hasn’t skated with them, there’s been a reason for that.

Kapanen has one speed: It’s fast, but hardly overwhelming. His motor doesn’t stand out.

He plays light, akin to no-check men’s league. Kapanen mainly prowls the perimeter.

He’s said to be out of shape, as revealed during his between-periods TV interview Thursday night. Kapanen’s face was changing colors and he panted like he was giving birth. His complexion combined with Dan Potash’s orange tux from “Dumb and Dumber” to provide an optic extravaganza.

So, Kapanen’s got a few problems.

Among them: He never seems to think there’s a problem. The son of former NHLer Sami Kapanen, he’s spent much of his life in NHL dressing rooms and likely feels entitled to be there. He’s never been called a dedicated professional.

Kapanen’s Twitter describes himself thusly: “Just a kid from Finland.”

There’s that “kid” excuse again. Is Kapanen on TikTok?

Be an adult who scores goals. Try that.

Kapanen will probably play better. He can’t help but. But it won’t be much better. Maybe he’ll get 20 goals, and then next season will be projected as when he turns the corner.

Except Kapanen has no intention of turning the corner. He sees no need.

When Jaromir Jagr was in his salad days with the Penguins in the early ’90s, he had 10 times Kapanen’s talent and 20 times the off-ice dedication.

But Jagr’s focus would occasionally wander. When that happened, a dressing-room presence would kick him up the backside and get the train back on track. Unpleasant moments were used to teach.

This Penguins’ dressing room doesn’t have that presence. Perhaps no dressing room in latter-day sports does.

Except Tampa Bay’s in football. Tom Brady is always the exception.