Amid a disastrous mid-season collapse, the New York Rangers have specified a list of players available for trade. Those names are veteran Chris Kreider, captain Jacob Trouba, and warrior Ryan Lindgren. However, another player has recently re-emerged in trade rumors due to his elevated production. The 2019 second-overall pick, Kaapo Kakko, is reportedly available for trade according to TSN’s Darren Dreger.
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With the Tampa Bay Lightning trending in a new direction following last summer’s changes, a 23-year-old Kakko could help the team win now and down the road. Secondary scoring remains a weakness of the Lightning’s roster this season, and adding Kakko would ensure the second-line right-wing position next to Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli.
Kakko’s Background
Throughout his young career, Kakko has experienced many highs and lows. The Turku, Finland native struggled to produce offensively in the first three seasons of his NHL career but then posted a career-best 18 goals and 40 points during the 2022-23 regular season. While the second-overall pick appeared to be back on track, a combination of injuries and opportunity held him to just 19 points in 61 games last season under head coach Peter Laviolette.
Kakko was almost moved over the summer by New York, but the underwhelming market for the winger caused him to stay put. He’s off to a strong start this season, registering 13 points in 24 games, putting him on pace for 44 points in 82 games. With an early bounceback from Kakko in the first quarter of the season, his name has resurfaced in trade rumors.
Kakko’s Strong Defensive Play and Analytics
While Kakko has proven he can give a team a solid 20-goal, 20-assist season, his value roots in his defensive play and advanced metrics. Amongst Rangers’ forwards with over 1,000 minutes played at five-on-five since the 2020-21 season, he ranks tied for first in expected goals against per 60 (xGA/60), which estimates how many goals he’s likely to surrender based on the quality of chances he was on the ice for. To further prove his vital defensive impact on the Rangers, he ranks first on the team in goals against per 60 (GA/60) and shots against per 60 (SA/60), while also ranking second in shot attempts against per 60 (CA/60) from 2020-25.
His expected goals plus/minus (xG plus/minus per 60) rank third amongst Rangers behind Kreider and Vincent Trocheck during that period. In other words, he’s generating quality scoring chances on offense while not allowing many against on the ice, making him a solid two-way threat. You can find these stats on the skater tables tab via EvolvingHockey.
Another severely under-covered talent of Kakko’s game is his ability to break out of the defensive zone with possession. He graded in the 98th percentile of defensive zone exits with possession per 60 amongst forwards in 2023-24 via Corey Sznajder’s microstats workbook. Moreover, he ranked in the upper echelon of defensive zone retrievals leading to exits and successful zone exit percentage.
What Would the Lightning Have to Give Up to Acquire Kakko?
A 23-year-old with untapped potential and two-way upside will not be cheap to acquire. However, Kakko is a potential piece for the organization’s future for years to come. Considering the Lightning’s struggles with developing first-round talent, trading their 2026 first-round pick to New York is more than reasonable for a player of Kakko’s caliber.
Kakko comes at a cap hit of $2.4 million this season and is a pending restricted free agent for the upcoming summer. In other words, the Lightning would have the rights to Kakko and can be flexible with working out a new contract. Tampa Bay currently has $1.47 million in cap space, so a roster player would likely have to go the other way. The Rangers may take interest in a player like Mitchell Chaffee, who’s been productive with nine points in 20 games this season with Tampa Bay. If the asking price isn’t out of this world, there’s no reason general manager Julien BriseBois shouldn’t jump all over this opportunity to acquire Kakko. After all, look how trading a haul for Brandon Hagel worked out at the trade deadline two seasons ago.
