Top prospect Kapanen out of WJC with injury

Kasperi Kapanen, one of the top prospects for the 2014 NHL Draft and expected to be one of the top players for Finland at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship, has a shoulder injury that will keep him out of the tournament.

Goran Stubb, NHL Director of European Scouting, tweeted Saturday that Kapanen will miss three weeks because of the injury. Finland's WJC team is in Sweden for final preparations before the tournament begins Dec. 26 in Malmo, but Stubb said Kapanen is expected to return to Finland.

Kapanen, who was injured in practice Friday, is one of five players in Europe who was given an A grade by NHL Central Scouting in its November list of players to watch. He had five goals and eight points in seven games at the IIHF U-18 World Championship last season and figured to be a star performer in the upcoming WJC.

The son of former NHL player Sami Kapanen is considered a contender to be a top-five pick in June and has four goals and eight points in 28 games for KalPa in the top division of Finnish hockey.