The 23 year old Finn's name has been bouncing around in mock trade scenarios for the last couple of weeks despite the Rangers' attempts to retain the young winger
New York Rangers v Washington Capitals - Game Four / Scott Taetsch/GettyImages
Kaapo Kakko's 2023/24 season saw the 23-year-old Finnish right winger notch a respectable 13 goals and 6 assists in a shortened 61-game span. However, it seems the Rangers aren't satisfied with the youngster's numbers, which may explain the recent explosion in potential trade talks for the Finn, despite New York's mild effort to retain someone who maybe could eventually become a star player in Madison Square Garden. There are 3 teams that could best fit Kakko's needs and help boost his career numbers, and all but one are way out west. The other is a division rival, and it may also make the most sense seeing as how the Rangers recently nabbed Reilly Smith from them
The Pittsburgh Penguins Desparately Need Young Talent
In a move that would undoubtedly send major shockwaves through the entire NHL, Kakko joining up with a Rangers divisional rival in Pittsburgh would hurt Rangers fans' psyche. The Penguins do need some fresh talent though, especially with most of their prolific goal scorers reaching the end of their careers and also losing a couple more during free agency weekend. Like a lot of teams, the Pens could certainly benefit from Kakko if he were to play more games than he's done in past seasons (played all 82 games in 2022/23) and found the back of the net more times than he's done in his 5 year career, which has been entirely in Manhattan. The Pens barely missed out on the playoffs this year and some young firepower could propel them back to the postseason that they used to be well known for.
San Jose Continues to Stock Up in More Ways than One
It seems like nowadays everyone is destined for the Shark Tank in San Jose, but that may be what the Sharks are trying to do after a disastrous 2023/24 campaign that saw them as the NHL's laughingstock with a dismal 19 win season. San Jose has been in full hard rebuild mode for years now and the #1 selection in this year's draft of Boston University superstar Macklin Celebrini could possibly brighten things a little. But if the Sharks actually want to head back to the postseason, which would be their first berth since the 2018/19 campaign that saw them reach the Western Conference Finals, they need more than just Macklin and, for the record, Kakko to help them out.
Calgary is a Perfect Fit for a Youngster Like Kakko
In addition to having several veteran players that could show Kakko the ropes, the Flames are also looking for an addition to their slightly lacking (and aging) offense. Calgary's leading points man last season was 33-year-old Nazem Kadri, a grizzled veteran who is absolutely capable of mentoring young players like Kakko. Not only that, but Kakko wouldn't be under as much pressure to get things done compared to New York. Sure, Calgary is a big city too like NYC but it's virtually a fraction of the size. There's literally 7 million less potential angry fans to deal with!
Now, the biggest question here is this- will New York even budge with all the pressure to shed Kakko? Among the front office, there seems to be no rush to get rid of him, even with the countless rumors that may continue to bubble up in the coming weeks.
