The New York Rangers signed winger Kaapo Kakko to a one-year, $2.4 million contract in their first move since losing to the Florida Panthers in six games in the Eastern Conference Final. The 23-year-old winger has dealt with numerous injuries in his first five seasons; however, he can still be a key contributor for the team next season.
Kakko’s Play This Season
In 2022-23, Kakko took a big step forward and finished with a career-high in goals (18) and assists (22) while playing in all 82 games and spending almost all of the season on the third line. He rarely got ice time on the man advantage and all but three of his 40 points came at even strength. He was also very good defensively at even strength.
This season, Kakko got an opportunity to play in the top six on a line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. While the line was very good defensively, they all struggled to produce offensively and Kakko was moved down to the third line. He had two goals and one assist in his first 20 games and then suffered a lower-body injury on Nov. 27 which kept him out for the next seven weeks.
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After returning to the lineup in January, Kakko played better on the third line and scored a goal in a 5-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken in his second game back. He was reliable defensively and chipped in offensively, finishing with 11 goals and five assists in 41 games after returning from his injury. He averaged just 13:17 in ice time per game this season.
Kakko began the playoffs on the third line playing with Alexander Wennberg and Will Cuylle. He scored a goal in a 4-2 victory which completed a sweep of the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs. The line struggled to score against the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round but they did have some very strong shifts in the offensive zone. This was especially noticeable since the Rangers struggled to sustain pressure in the offensive zone at even strength.
Head coach Peter Laviolette decided to scratch Kakko for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Panthers and inserted him back into the lineup for Game 3. He was held without a point in the five games he did play in the series and the Rangers were held to just 12 goals in six games. He finished the playoffs with one goal and one assist in 15 games while averaging just 12:07 in ice time per game.
Kakko’s Role and Contract
Expectations for Kakko were very high when he was drafted second overall in the 2019 NHL Draft and he has faced a lot of criticism in his first five seasons with the Rangers. While he has not turned into a star as the team once hoped, he has value and he was very impressive during the 2022-23 season.
Kakko is strong on the puck and his line was able to create some sustained pressure on the forecheck this postseason. He also backchecks and uses his stick to get in shooting and passing lanes in the defensive zone. He used to kill penalties for the Rangers but did not do so this season. It is an area of the game where he can certainly contribute. While Kakko defends well, he struggles to finish off his scoring chances and has gone through a few extended slumps.
Despite some of his scoring woes, Kakko can help the Rangers, and giving him a one-year deal at just $2.4 million is an excellent value deal for the team. He can be trusted defensively and in 2022-23 he showed that he can be a consistent contributor offensively. Though he struggled on the team’s first line, the reality is so did everyone else that Laviolette played with Zibanejad and Kreider.
While Kakko’s name has been mentioned in trade rumors, his value is not very high given that he was scratched in a playoff game for the second time in his career. Holding on to him gives the 23-year-old winger a chance to contribute next season while raising his value. If he plays the way he did in 2022-23, his contract would be a steal.
For Kakko Moving Forward
Kakko will enter next season in a similar position to Alexis Lafreniere this season. Lafreniere responded with a breakout season and the hope for the Rangers is that Kakko will do the same next season. He could get another shot in the top six but at the very least, he should be a steady third liner and a part of the penalty kill unit next season.
