The New York Rangers have had some players step up their game this season, including some unexpected stars such as Jonathan Quick. With so much success being generated throughout the lineup, not every star is getting their moment in the spotlight.
Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko are both on pace to have career-high seasons as members of the Blueshirts’ elite third line. Nobody predicted these two would be as dominant as they have been- and it’s time to officially consider them some of New York’s best forwards.
Cuylle and Kakko are both on pace for career-high seasons
Cuylle is only in his second year with the Rangers, but the improvement from his rookie season is quite noticeable. He tallied just 21 points in 81 games last year- and is already up to 14 in only 17 games this season. He’s on pace for 29 goals and 68 points if he plays a full 82 games, which would shatter his first-year numbers.
Unlike Cuylle, Kakko has had plenty of time to show growth throughout his career. He had a miniature breakout campaign two seasons ago, hitting 40 points for the first time. Last year was a bit of a regression for the Finnish forward, however, as he only tallied 19 through 61 games. After a disappointing run in 2023-24, Kakko appears to be back. In just 17 games, he’s already produced 11 points– putting him on pace for a career-high 53 if he plays the whole season.
The Rangers third line has been elite defensively
In addition to their offensive breakouts, both Cuylle and Kakko have been phenomenal at defense. The two wingers have spent most of the year with Filip Chytil as their center, but have also had Jonny Brodzinski in between them for a few games. But no matter who their center has been, Cuylle and Kakko have not been on the ice together for a single goal against. The goals are 14-0 in favor of the Rangers when both third-line wingers are playing at the same time.
The Rangers needed a defensive forward unit like this third line. The first line of Kreider-Zibanejad-Smith has been a bit of a liability, and the second line has been a defensive nightmare. Cuylle and Kakko are dominant in both zones, making the Rangers’ third line one of the best forward groups in all of hockey right now.
