The NY Rangers just opened a plethora of options after re-signing Kaapo Kakko
With Kaapo Kakko heading back to the NY Rangers, it shows that general manager Chris Drury may still have faith in the former second-overall pick.
If you had asked me if the NY Rangers should have re-signed Kaapo Kakko shortly before the NHL Playoffs began, I would have given you a plethora of reasons why doing so would have been a shortsighted move. In late March, I even included Kakko in a piece about three Rangers players who wouldn’t return in 2024-25, but after thinking about it over the past two and a half months, I decided to roll with a different outlook.
Instead of criticizing this move, I instead want to tell you why re-signing Kakko was a good decision on a few fronts. It may not look that way on the surface, as the former second-overall pick has not even played like someone even worthy of a third-round selection at times.
So why, after just two-and-a-half months of being so sure Kakko was finished in New York, do I think it was such a great move to bring him back? Well, it doesn’t have as much to do with him potentially getting another chance in New York as much as it does regarding the number of options general manager Chris Drury just created.
Re-signing Kakko doesn’t mean the NY Rangers are obligated to keep him
Here were general manager Chris Drury’s options: He could have opted not to re-sign Kakko to a qualifying offer and let him continue his career elsewhere. But in that case, Drury would have gotten nothing for who was at one time a highly-touted prospect, and it made zero sense to go that route.
Instead, teams interested in acquiring him now know exactly how much cap space he’ll take up, and it could entice an array of them to inquire about a potential trade during the offseason. Organizations in rebuilding mode, like the Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks, could see a potential-laden young player in Kakko, while contenders who could use a lower-liner may also be enticed to inquire.
Re-signing Kakko gives the Rangers flexibility to land either a draft pick or two in an offseason trade, something they could use. Or, they could package him in a trade this summer for who they feel is a more established, more serviceable player, something they could work out in a deal with a lesser talented team.
Kaapo Kakko would be on a prove-it deal if not traded elsewhere
If Kaapo Kakko sticks around the organization for another season, he’s now on the classic “one-year, prove-it” deal. The make-it-or-break-it mentality such a short, cost-effective contract brings could result in a breakout, or at least a better year for the underwhelming forward.
It’s not like Kakko is incapable of at least putting up decent numbers, or else he wouldn’t have scored 18 goals and put up 22 assists in 2022-23. This deal would give Kakko a chance to be completely healthy for another season in New York. And even if he logs primarily lower-line minutes as he did in 2023-24, it still means there could be value for him somewhere in this elite lineup.
I’d also like to extend this to include the possibility that Kakko could still impress the Rangers even if he doesn’t end the 2024-25 season with an adequate number of points - if he’s on the team in 2024-25. Kakko’s possession metrics at even strength this past season include some important points, like a 93.8 on-ice save percentage, 22 goals allowed while on the ice, and a plus-6 rating despite a possession quality of minus-0.7.
Another number that jumped out at me, this one from the 2022-23 season, and it was found on his basic stat line, was his 47 takeaways. Kakko could poke the puck free often during the lone season that saw him play in 80-plus games. And let’s also remember he had 35 takeaways in 66 games during the 2019-20 season and 31 in 48 games the next year.
So, points aside, the defensive game Kakko can bring could also factor him into either salvaging his career in New York or impressing another organization at the end of the 2024-25 season.
Kakko could be used as a trade piece at some point in 2024-25
As the headline of this article indicates, Chris Drury created a plethora of options regarding Kaapo Kakko. A trade over the summer is still likely, and a potential bridge contract for 2025-26 and beyond, should he redeem himself in New York this year, is the other extreme.
Then there is the umbrella of options that have opened up if Drury keeps Kakko, only to trade him at some point during the season. This option, much like a potential offseason trade, contains a similar blueprint. The only difference is that they would be trading him to an organization that would most likely be down and out instead of a contender.
Moving Kakko to a contending team in this situation would signify he’s playing much better hockey, and that wouldn’t even be remotely logical. But, in a trade package that could even include a first-round pick, it means Kakko would have the remainder of the season to audition to stick around for at least another season for a non-contending team looking to take a chance on young talent that didn’t materialize elsewhere.
In return, the Rangers would get another solid player at the trade deadline for Kakko and other assets, setting the stage for yet another Stanley Cup run. So Kakko’s value, even if he underperforms again, counterintuitively increases in a situation like this.
Suppose the Rangers need a depth scorer, and someone like Jason Dickinson of what will be another struggling Chicago Blackhawks team is in the rumor mill. Dickinson would probably work well on the Rangers lower lines for a season and a half, and this is just one of many examples to use.
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