New York Rangers Forward Kaapo Kakko Attracting Trade Interest per Darren Dreger

According to Darren Dreger of TSN, Kaapo Kakko is a name that has been popping up in trade discussions as the Rangers look to freshen up the locker room. He claims that while the Blueshirts are open to moving the Finnish forward, the Rangers will not take just anything for the Finn, wanting a specific package for the 2019 second-overall draft selection. Kakko is still thought of as a player with significant upside, but organizations want to know the price for the player.

It raises an obvious question: What are the Rangers after for Kakko? Perhaps a swap of underperforming high-pedigree young players or prospects? Is it a case of just trying to find a player the Rangers like and using picks and prospects to flatten out the value? Or is there a world where the New York Rangers package Kakko with a few other older pieces to try and move for a younger star?

We'll get to discuss this for the foreseeable future until the Rangers front office is content with the group on the ice. There is nothing to suggest that the Rangers want to move Kakko, for what it's worth, just that teams are interested in the young man. There's still every chance that the Rangers retain the services of the Turku, Finland native. But the conversations around his future will start to begin.

If they move on from Kakko, there would be a hole in the bottom six. Perhaps the Rangers feel Brett Berard can slide into that spot full-time after some promising games with the big team. Berard has been someone we're grateful for in the New York Area, but the Rangers need to consider what they do in the scenarios that lead New York to move on from the Finnish winger, and Berard's emergence has impacted their thinking.

We'll see what comes of the Rangers future regarding Kakko, but there will be speculation. If the speculation affects his performance, we could see a trade sooner and at a reduced asset cost. It will be essential for the Blueshirts that Kakko keeps his head thinking about what is happening on the ice instead of what could happen in the future. Kakko's been the subject of rumors, so we'll see what happens with the Finn.