[2] At the conclusion his senior year, and second as captain, with the River Hawks in the 2016–17 season, Kapla was signed to a two-year, entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils on March 28, 2017.

[4][5] Kapla immediately embarked on his professional career, burning one of his contract years in joining the Devils to play out the remainder of the 2016–17 season.

He made his NHL debut, paired alongside veteran Ben Lovejoy, in a 2–1 defeat to the New York Islanders on March 31, 2017.

He appeared in 45 games for 16 points with Binghamton before on January 30, 2019, the Devils traded Kapla to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Ryan Murphy.

On May 15, 2020, Kapla as a free agent opted to pursue a European career, agreeing to a one-year contract with Swedish second division club, Västerviks IK of the Allsvenskan.