The New York Rangers’ “Kid Line” of young forwards Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko, and Alexis Lafreniere played an integral role in their run to the Eastern Conference Final during the 2021-22 season, and the future looked bright for the trio. However, injuries, inconsistent play, and extended slumps have resulted in a disappointing end for the line that once looked very promising.
The Rangers’ Young Forwards Played Well Together
After writing a letter to fans and announcing they would make big changes to their roster during the 2017-18 season, the Rangers began to rebuild. They had a few difficult seasons, and drafted Chytil late in the first round in 2017, drafted Kakko second overall in 2019, and drafted Lafreniere first overall in 2020.
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All three players went through scoring droughts in 2020-21, but also showed flashes of their potential with skilled plays. In 2021-22, then head coach Gerard Gallant opted to play the three of them together on a line, and they quickly formed chemistry and chipped in offensively. The line was at its best in the postseason, as they were strong on the forecheck and kept the puck in the offensive zone for extended shifts.
Chytil caught fire at the right time, scoring two goals in Game 6 of the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes to help force a Game 7. In Game 7, he scored another goal on a breakaway immediately after Carolina scored to regain momentum for the Rangers. In the Eastern Conference Final, he scored twice in Game 1, including a memorable goal after the “Kid Line” kept the puck in the offensive zone for more than a minute.
The line also spent time playing together in 2022-23 as Chytil had his best season with 22 goals and 23 assists in 74 games, and Kakko had his best season with the Rangers with 18 goals and 22 assists in 82 games. Lafreniere went through an extended scoring drought but ended the season with 16 goals and 23 assists in 81 games. However, New York lost to the rival New Jersey Devils in the first round of the playoffs.
The End of the “Kid Line”
The 2023-24 season was an excellent one for the Rangers, as they won the Presidents’ Trophy with the best record in the NHL. A big bright spot was Lafreniere, who broke out and finished with 28 goals and 29 assists. His strong play helped him earn a spot on the top line playing alongside Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. Chytil suffered a concussion early in the season and missed 72 regular-season games. Kakko missed extended time with a lower-body injury and struggled to produce offensively, finishing with 13 goals and six assists in 61 games.
In the playoffs, Lafreniere was one of the Rangers’ best players as he was noticeable every game and produced offensively despite rarely getting ice time on power plays. He scored a highlight-reel coast-to-coast goal in the Eastern Conference Final against the Florida Panthers and consistently generated scoring chances. He had eight goals and six assists in 16 games. Chytil tried to return from his injury but was held without a point in six playoff games. Kakko played well defensively, but had just two points in 15 games and was a healthy scratch for Game 2 against Florida as New York lost the series in six games.
Last season, Lafreniere signed a seven-year, $52.15 million extension with the Rangers, but he did not produce as much offensively and made a lot of defensive mistakes. He finished the season with 17 goals and 28 assists in 82 games.
Kakko continued to play well defensively but struggled offensively and was once again a healthy scratch for a game. He had four goals and 10 assists in 30 games and was then traded to the Seattle Kraken for defenseman Will Borgen.
Chytil bounced back, stayed healthy, and played the way he did in 2022-23 for the Rangers at the start of the season and had 11 goals and nine assists in 41 games. However, general manager Chris Drury made another big trade, acquiring J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks, and Chytil was one of the players he traded in the deal.
The Rangers Will Rely Heavily on Lafreniere
Entering the 2025-26 season, the Rangers have a lot of veteran forwards in Miller, Panarin, Trocheck, and Mika Zibanejad, and they need some of their younger forwards to step up. Though the run of the “Kid Line” has ended, Lafreniere, the last remaining member of the line, has the talent to be a difference maker, but New York needs him to play the way he did in 2023-24 rather than the way he played last season.
