The New York Rangers are at a crossroads with their winger. Will this season result in a Kaapo Kakko contract extension, or is this the end? Rangers general manager Chris Drury made a public declaration of support for Kaapo Kakko, his beleaguered Finnish winger who has yet to be able to live up to the hype of a second overall draft pick. Was it sincere, or is Drury sending a message to the 31 other GMs?
Drury on Kakko: "He dealt with an injury last year & admittedly he didn't have the best year… Another guy that had a terrific offseason and in early testing just looks great. I think he's out to prove that last year was a fluke, and he's ready to have a good year for us." #NYR
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) September 17, 2024
The Situation Surround the Kaapo Kakko Contract Extension
Kaapo Kakko arrived to New York City in 2019 with as much hype as any player in recent memory. The Rangers had finally ripped the Band-Aid off and admitted that a rebuild was in order. Kakko, in many ways, signaled the beginning of that endeavour. Selected with the second overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, he would be the leader to usher in a new era of Rangers hockey. And the city loved it.
Fast forward to the eve of the 2024-25 NHL season. Kakko, despite his moments, has failed to live up to the hype. For someone who was billed as NHL-ready in his draft year, more so than the first overall pick Jack Hughes, Kakko has at times looked out of place at the NHL level. Whether it is his footspeed, instincts, or just rotten bad luck, the Finnish winger’s moments of brilliance have often been followed by long periods of stagnation.
Take the 2022-23 season, for example. In several aspects, it is regarded as Kakko’s finest season to date. It marked the first time in his career where he played a full 82-game season, which resulted in 18 goals and 40 points total, the majority of which came at even strength. To call it a “breakout” campaign would be an overstatement, but it was certainly a trend in the right direction.
Until 2023-24 proved to be an unmitigated disaster for the then 22-year-old. A slow start (two points in 15 games) was made even worse by a brutal leg injury that sidelined Kakko from the end of November to the beginning of January. It was no secret that Drury was putting feelers out to the rest of the league to gauge other team’s interests in Kakko, and perhaps a deal would have been made for the right price. Instead, Drury held onto the still-young forward, and extended him to a one-year deal at season’s end.
What’s At Stake?
Frankly, Kakko’s Rangers career is at stake. As mercurial as a player he is, there are still a lot of fans who would loath to see him go elsewhere. At 23 years old entering the 2024-25 season, there is still room for him to grow. And with players like Igor Shesterkin, Alexis Lafrenière, and K’Andre Miller due for extensions at the end of the season, finding a middle six forward whose strength is puck possession along the half-wall may be difficult to find at a reasonable price point.
Having said that, the cold truth is Kakko is running out of time. The Rangers’ lack of scoring depth down the stretch of last season and into the playoffs was, and still is, a real issue. It’s no secret the Rangers are top-heavy. Still, that doesn’t mean the middle and bottom six lines are completely inept. If the Rangers want to be successful their depth is going to have to contribute more.
That can start with Kakko, and it can start with a fully healthy season. Kakko had 13 goals on the year despite playing in only 61 games because of a leg injury. Can Kakko increase his production to a possible 20-goal campaign? With linemates Filip Chytil and Will Cuylle, there’s no reason to believe he can’t. Cuylle’s strength, coupled with Chytil’s speed and shoot-first mentality, and Kakko’s possession prowess, could create a real force in the offensive zone.
Obviously, that line’s success would be predicated off of one thing: health. Cuylle’s durability was a testament last season compared to the concussion issues plaguing Chytil and Kakko’s broken leg. Will another year together, and a year of full health, create a chemistry that will allow Peter Laviolette to roll three offensive lines regularly?
A Kaapo Kakko contract extension should be the end goal after this season. It should be what the player wants and it should be what the team wants in equal measure. Any one-sidedness to that equation could make things substantially more difficult.
Is a Kaapo Kakko Contract Extension Possible?
Of course it is. The player has the complete ability to change the narrative surrounding his name. We saw it with Alexis Lafrenière‘s emergence last season. Why couldn’t Kakko do the same?
There are two ways to view the aforementioned Chris Drury comments reported by USA Today’s Vince Mercogliano, cynically or truthfully. To view them cynically would be to wonder if Drury is gassing up a disgruntled and inconsistent player to entice another team to trade assets for. We know Drury dangled Kakko’s name during the trade deadline, is he trying to spark some interest again?
Perhaps the better (or at least healthier way) of viewing the comments would be through a lens of truth. Drury, to an extent, wants Kakko to succeed, just as much as the fans do or Laviolette wants. Why? Because if Kakko contributes offensively, that means the Rangers are a better team. Drury and Laviolette know that if Kakko takes a step forward this year, that’s one less problem for them to worry about come the trade deadline. And it wouldn’t be surprising if Drury would prefer for this to end with a Kaapo Kakko contract extension.
Fans were ready to write off Alexis Lafrenière before the start of last season. Now the former first overall pick is a cornerstone on this team. Can the same thing happen with Kakko be possible? The draft pedigree is there, the skillset is there, it’s just a matter of it all coming together. If it does, then Kakko will more likely than not have salvaged his future with the New York Rangers. If not, then it’s back to the drawing board.
Main Photo Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
