The New York Rangers could still be in the market for reinforcements this summer despite a relatively quiet start to the free agency period. The team traded for winger Reilly Smith earlier in the offseason, however, they have been unable to trade away some of the players that they have been looking to move this summer.
Among those Blueshirts players on the trade block is former No. 2 overall draft pick Kaapo Kakko. The Rangers reportedly had numerous trade discussions centered around Kakko at the beginning of the offseason but ultimately were unable to come to terms on a deal. A recent mock trade, however, has the Rangers finally sending away Kakko and bringing in a talented young winger to upgrade the team’s offensive firepower.
Rangers mock trade sends Kaapo Kakko to the Flames in exchange for Andrei Kuzmenko
While using PuckPedia’s new PuckGM tool to create a mock trade, one user crafted a deal that would land the Rangers Andrei Kuzmenko from the Calgary Flames in exchange for Kakko (h/t Heavy.com):
Rangers receive:
- Andrei Kuzmenko ($2.8 million retained)
Flames receive:
- Kaapo Kakko
- Bryce McConnell-Barker
- 2025 fifth-round pick (Minnesota’s)
Moving off Kakko has obviously been a priority for the Blueshirts this summer. But as for Bryce McConnell-Barker, sending him away would be a surprising move. McConnell-Barker is the top center prospect in the Rangers’ pool and is preparing for his first full season in the AHL. The 20-year-old forward was a third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and has spent the last two seasons with the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL. McConnell-Barker recorded 77 points in 68 games in 2022-23 and posted a respectable 51 points in 52 games in 2023-24.
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What would Andrei Kuzmenko bring to the Rangers?
Kuzmenko is a 28-year-old, 5-foot-11 winger who spent the 2023-24 season split between the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames after being traded mid-season. He totaled 46 points (22 goals and 24 assists) in 72 games — a steep dropoff in production compared to the 2022-23 season when Kuzmenko totaled 74 points (39 goals and 35 assists) across 81 games played.
If they were to trade for him, the Rangers would hope to see Kuzmenko return to that level of production. A forward who can pocket over 70 points in the regular season would fit nicely in a Blueshirts top-six that lost its juice midway through the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Kuzmenko is entering the final year of his contract and could wind up being a one-year rental if a deal were to go through. However, the Rangers would hope that Kuzmenko’s talents could maximize the potential of their top six as a potential first-line skater alongside Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad.
