The former New Jersey Devils goaltender has a new contract. After spending time between the San Jose Sharks and New Jersey Devils, Kaapo Kahkonen is signing with the Winnipeg Jets. He will be there for the next season and will have an AAV of $1million. Kahkonen is a young goalie so this is a good deal for him and the team.
Kaapo Kahkonen 1 x $1M Winnipeg
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 1, 2024
Kahkonen Signs Contract with Jets
The Sharks were then worst team in the league this season, which will see them pick first during the 2024 NHL Draft. Despite being a poor team, Kahkonen was a stable goalie between the pipes for the team. In 31 games with the Sharks, Kahkonen finished with a .895 save percentage and 3.81 goals against average. Also, he had a .832 high danger save percentage, so he was good when facing quality chances. Although, he was on the move in a swap with the Devils for Vitek Vanecek.
When he got to New Jersey, things took a turn for the better. In a small sample size of six games, Kahkonen saw himself post a .923 save percentage and a 2.51 goals against average. His numbers went on to improve in what is a better Devils hockey team. With Jake Allen having one year left on his deal, Kahkonen leaving in free agency made sense. This is a good addition for the team and helps stabilize the goal crease.
What this Signing Means
This Kahkonen contract makes sense for both sides. You can never have too many goalies in the fold and having added stability in the crease can go a long way to having success during the regular season. You look at teams like the Boston Bruins, and New York Rangers who could rely on two goalies and if the success they had.
Kahkonen is a younger goalie and showed he can be a strong presence in the crease. With landing a new deal, he can pick up where he left off to end the 2023-24 season.
Main Photo: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports
