Three potential trade destinations for New York Ranger forward Kaapo Kakko among rumors

As trade rumors over the last week have surfaced regarding New York Rangers winger Kaapo Kakko, the Rangers are getting criticism from parts of the fanbase that think the way they have developed Kaapo has been the problem as opposed to the player himself, who is almost certainly going to move to a greener pasture and succeed in a new setup. Kakko has not found the success he was expected to have in New York, and seeing him linked with an exit already is going to worry some.

Moving into the debate around the future of this player, it's completely up in the air. Chris Drury is listening to offers to try and free up cap space as well as use his value to try and get a player back that will help the rangers right now more than Kaapo will. Whether or not his assessment is right will depend on the player, and you can let me know who you'd want to see the Rangers go after. I'm almways interested to hear your thoughts.

Anyway, this leaves the conversation about Kakko up in the air. As the second overall pick in the 2019 NHL entry draft, this is a player whose value is still sky high. A lot of teams will think they can reclaim the project Kakko is and find him to be a solid buy low candidate considering his young age. With the assurance that there will be interest in the Finnish winger, where should the Rangers be moving him to?

Candidly, I'd rather see the Rangers retain the services of the young Finn because this stinks of a move that will come back to bite them where the sun doesn't shine, but with that in mind, the Rangers know that they will have to be smart when it comes to trying to get the maximum return for an asset that can haunt them forever, Look at how the Senators regret trading Mika Zibanejad, Calgary and Carolina regret not being able to add young Adam Fox, there's a history of young players turning around in a fresh setting.

Carolina Hurricanes

This would sting the most, because the divisional rivals of the New York Rangers are an incredibly savvy organization. They love to go bargain bin shopping and reclamation projects seem to be their specialty. They could use scoring help too, and it pains me to think of the success Kaapo Kakko could have with the Carolina Hurricanes if the former Hartford Whalers choose to come in for the services of the Finn.

With several Finns already down in Carolina, including their all-star Sebastian Aho and a fellow reclamation project in Jesperi Kotkaniemi, the feeling of familiarity with some of the players Kakko played with at the youth level might make him feel more relaxed. Getting away from the pressure cooker of New York media also may help him, and Carolina's coverage is not as scrutinous as the Blueshirts'.

This is a team that has a cap crunch coming up as the majority of the core of their roster is going to see its contract expire in the summer. While their key offensive star has an extension, it's going to get tight in Raleigh, so a budget option for the right wing is something that this organization could be looking into with their deadline cap space if they are desperate for an insurance policy for the summer.

Carolina's ridiculously deep prospect pool would also give them the ability to make a deal like this without really damaging their future because of the way they are run. Plus, it may allow the Rangers to land a young player for the roster like Jack Drury, Chris' nephew, who could fill the hole at 3C while netting something like the extra second round pick the Hurricanes have to get another asset at this deadline, while also opening up another $1 million in cap space for deadline acquisitions.

Montreal Canadiens

This might be a more likable suggestion for some that want him out of the division if he is going to leave, but it's still an original six rival. The Montreal Canadiens are in the depths of a rebuild and are desperate for young talent up front. With aging veterans like Brendan Gallagher and Joel Armia stuck in the french part of Canada, the Rangers winger could be a welcome addition as the Habs try to get back to their past glory.

After the Sean Monahan trade that saw the Canadiens ship him out to Winnipeg for a first round pick, there could be an asset of that quality coming the other way for Kakko, which would give the Rangers more fuel to try and find a good fit for the roster in the various positions that have started to show signs of needing addressing.

Now, the last time the Canadiens had a young Finn that went by the nickname "KK", he ended up getting an offer sheet that wasn't matched. Getting a winger back in the organization that has the potential to take that next step and truly become an elite goal-scoring winger is something Kent Hughes and company are going to have no choice but to consider.

Playing beside guys like Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki, there would be young players for Kakko to help adjust to the new settings in Montreal and build a connection on a line that the Canadiens could use for a long time. It would suck to see Kakko go somewhere that will probably have the ability to unlock his full potential into the destroyer of worlds we expected him to be when he was drafted, but it wouldn't be for nothing.

If the Rangers could net the Winnipeg Jets' first-round draft selection in the 2024 NHL entry draft that the Canadiens got in the Sean Monahan deal, it could make sense to use those futures to then address the situation in the top nine, whether that be down the middle or on the right wing. It's not something that is beyond the bounds of possibility, I don't think, but it would certainly be a stretch for Kakko.