Now entering his sixth season with the New York Rangers, Kaapo Kakko has yet to prove that he can be a top player in the NHL. While there have been a number of factors that have contributed to his stunted growth including coaching decisions and injuries, it is safe to say that this is Kakko’s last chance to prove to the organization that he is a valuable player.
He signed a one-year deal in the offseason and now, it seems that he is projected to start on the Rangers’ third line to start the season. However, while it might sound crazy, there are a few arguments to be made that Kakko might not even make the opening night lineup and that his spot on the team is not as secure as we might think it is.
Kakko Won’t Get Top-6 Minutes
Going into last season, Kakko had the chance to start the season on the team’s top line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. While he had played with them in the past, this was his first chance to play with them over a longer period of time. While the line did look good at certain times, they were not producing offense at all and he was eventually moved down to the third line where he remained for the rest of the season. Now, entering this season, there are two players ahead of him that will get top-six minutes and those two players are Alexis Lafreniere and Reilly Smith.
Once again, Kakko is relegated to a bottom-six role and this is not where he needs to be to hit the true potential that he has. However, he has not proved that he deserves top-six minutes, which is why he will only get those minutes if someone gets injured. Kakko was even scratched in the Eastern Conference Final for a game due to his poor play and lack of scoring. He won’t be playing with the best players on the team on a consistent basis and his game will suffer because of it. Having him in the bottom six at this point is just a waste of his talent.
Poor Play Last Season and in the Playoffs
Even though he was injured last season, it was still a disappointing season for Kakko offensively. He scored just 13 goals and 19 points in 61 games played. He only managed to score one goal in 16 playoff games and as mentioned before, was even scratched in the conference finals. He was not providing anything to help the Rangers win and head coach Peter Laviolette gave multiple chances to prove himself last season, but nothing seemed to work.
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He couldn’t produce in a third-line role last season, so what will change that could help him produce this season? Well, the Rangers will hopefully have a healthy Filip Chytil for the entire season and his offense was truly missed last season. Chytil will be a massive offensive upgrade over Alex Wennberg and both Chytil and Kakko have some great chemistry as they played on the “Kid Line” for two seasons together. So can Chytil be the catalyst that sparks Kakko’s game? Maybe, but before we even get there, there will be some players fighting in training camp trying to get Kakko’s spot in the lineup.
Brett Berard and Brennan Othmann Want Kakko’s Spot
The two big prospects to watch as training camp gets going will be Brett Berard and Brennan Othmann. Both of these players were the top offensive players for the Hartford Wolf Pack last season and now, they want to prove that they can play at the NHL level. Berard had 25 goals and 48 points in 71 games while Othmann had 21 goals and 49 points in 67 games. These two players are going to want to be on the Rangers to start the season and to get the most out of them, you can’t have them on the fourth line. This means that they will get at least third-line minutes and you aren’t taking Will Cuylle off the third line, so the only option is to take Kakko out.
Both Othmann and Berard have more offensive upside to their games than Kakko does. If you want them to succeed, you put them with a player like Chytil and have them build some chemistry. For Kakko, you don’t have him playing fourth-line minutes as it is a waste of his skills and since he won’t get a top-six role on this team, the only other option is to scratch him. That, or you trade him before the season if one of the two prospects makes the team. You trade him because you don’t want him sitting and you could get something back in a trade that can help you in a future trade to make this team better going into the playoffs.
It has not been an easy road for Kakko with the Rangers. So many ups and downs and so many times where it just hasn’t gone right for him. While it’s more likely than not that he will be in the opening night lineup, you have to question whether it’s time to move on and give other players a chance. Kakko will definitely be one of the more interesting players to watch as this season gets going.
