The New York Rangers are playing their best hockey right now, winning eight in a row. While many of their key players are having an excellent season, Kaapo Kakko struggled early on and then missed extended time with an injury. His name has come up in trade rumors, but the team would be wise to not only hold on to him at the deadline but also give him more ice time.
Kakko’s 2023-24 Season
Kakko had his best season in 2022-23, as he stayed healthy and produced offensively despite rarely getting ice time on the power play. He played in all 82 games and finished with 18 goals and 22 assists. All of his goals and all but three of his assists came at even strength.
Kakko began this season on the Rangers’ top line, playing alongside stars Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, but slumped early. Newly hired head coach Peter Laviolette opted to put Blake Wheeler on the first line and moved Kakko out of the top-six. The 23-year-old winger had just two goals and one assist in his first 20 games, though he did play well defensively. In a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 24, he played just 9:15.
The tough start to the season got worse as Kakko suffered a serious lower-body injury in a 5-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 27. He has missed extended time in his first five seasons, and this injury forced him to miss 21 games.
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In his second game back, Kakko scored a goal in the Rangers’ 5-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 16. Laviolette opted to keep Wheeler on the top line while Kakko settled into his role on the third line, playing with Jonny Brodzinski and Will Cuylle. The line consistently made the most of their ice time, generating scoring chances and keeping the majority of play in the offensive zone.
The third line’s strong play has earned them more ice time, and all three players are rewarding Laviolette’s faith in them. Kakko is on a five-game point streak. He scored on a great shot after an extended shift in the offensive zone in the team’s 3-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Feb. 20. In 15 games since returning from his injury, he has five goals and three assists.
Rangers’ Right-Wing Situation
The right wing was a weakness from the start this season as Kakko and Wheeler were the only two established right-wingers on the roster. To address the issue, the team got creative and moved Alexis Lafreniere to the position even though he naturally plays on the left side. He has adjusted nicely, with 14 goals and 19 assists in 56 games this season.
The Rangers’ lack of depth took a further hit with Kakko’s injury. Now Blake Wheeler is out for at least the rest of the regular season after he suffered a gruesome lower-body injury in the team’s 7-4 win over the Montreal Canadians on Feb. 15. Laviolette has given Jimmy Vesey, a natural left-winger who has played well on the fourth line, an opportunity to play on the right side with Zibanejad and Kreider.
With the trade deadline approaching, management can look to acquire a winger or call up a prospect from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL.) It would not make a lot of sense for the Rangers to trade Kakko now, given his strong all-around play recently and Wheeler’s injury.
For Kakko Moving Forward
Laviolette may want to keep the Rangers’ impressive third line together, but Kakko, who is averaging just 13:18 in ice time per game, deserves to play more. He continues to play very well defensively, he can contribute on the penalty kill, he is very strong on the puck, and recently, he has provided a big boost offensively.