The New York Rangers tried to trade Kaapo Kakko this past offseason after an underwhelming 2023-24 campaign. The former second-overall draft pick had struggled throughout his career, and it looked like his time in New York was coming to an end.
General manager Chris Drury kept trying to trade Kakko, but he didn’t receive much interest from the rest of the league. But now, roughly a quarter into this season, teams are finally looking to acquire the Finnish forward.
Kakko’s name has reportedly resurfaced in trade discussions
TSN has reported that Kakko’s name has resurfaced in trade discussions after the Rangers failed to move him this past summer. This news comes shortly after the Blueshirts were reportedly looking to shake up their roster, placing multiple stars including Chris Kreider on the trade block. New York likely intends to keep Kakko now, but anything is possible if another team makes the right offer.
The Rangers shouldn’t be looking to trade Kakko anymore
Trading Kakko made sense this summer after another year of struggles last season. But now, Kakko has turned things around to become one of the most reliable players on the roster.
Last season, Kakko scored just 19 points in 61 games. Through only 21 games so far this season, Kakko has tallied 12 points– and he’s done this in a bottom-six role with practically zero special teams ice time.
What makes Kakko special this year isn’t his point production, however, it’s his defensive abilities. He’s already a +13 on the ice, a team-high for the Rangers. Even though teams are interested in acquiring him, trading Kakko now would be a massive mistake for the Rangers to make.
