Kaapo Kakko agrees to one-year contract extension with New York Rangers
welcome to New York’s number two sports show the Rangers have signed kako kako to a one-year contract extension so this was done very quickly kako who was a restricted free agent they come to an agreement and it is for $2.4 million that is the capit so that was actually the qualifying offer so he accepts the qualifying offer he had been under a two-year deal with a $2.1 million capit so a small small bump um and look the conversation with kako Now isn’t really too different than it was a couple years ago so a few summers ago he gets a twoyear extension uh really and coming off of a game six elimination game scratch against the Tamp Bay Lightning this year it was a game two healthy scratch against the Florida Panthers he would then come back into the lineup for the next four games but for kako um this signing doesn’t necessarily give us any real information as far as whether he’ll be here this season or be traded like he could still for sure be traded this off season my hunch is that he’ll be back um again it is somewhat up in the air but my guess would be that they run this back again with kako uh but look this is is a critical year for him and he’ll be a restricted free agent again uh like next off season so he he would still be under team control so as much as this is kind it is a make or break here for kako like it’s not as if he’d be an unrestricted free agent he would still the Rangers would still retain his rights so I think this is you know kind of a deal that makes sense for both sides because I think both parties are interested in you know moving forward but at the same time I think the r are aware that you know it hasn’t really worked out with kako as much as they would have wanted it to and they don’t really know if it will uh in the future then for kako himself he could probably use a change of scenery too so to go one year and kind of you know just move really it’s not much of a change uh again it was $2.1 Million do now it’s 2.4 so you’re just it’s a reasonable deal in my opinion now if you’re very anti anti-apo kako you’ll disagree with that but really $2.4 million is not a whole hell of a lot even as underwhelming as as he’s been as a number two pick um It’s Not Really Gonna uh damage you uh from a cap saving standpoint but this past season was definitely disappointing and you know health for him at times has been a little bit of a concern um back in 2022 he had an injury that cost him in basically half the season and then this past season he had an injury that pretty much cost him maybe a quarter of the season so it’s not as if he stayed fully healthy either which isn’t great although when I think of him I don’t think of someone that’s I wouldn’t label him as injury-prone just yet but it has been a little bit of a thing but he ends up playing 61 games 13 goals only six assists and 19 points he was a plus six and in the playoffs 15 games one goal one assist for two points and a minus four so again the offensive stats are not good now this is the interesting thing is this like the 2022 season he plays all 82 games he has 18 goals 22 assists 40 points a plus 12 and in the in the seven game series versus The Devils a goal a goal and an assist so not much to speak of there but like the regular season not terrible when you consider the fact that like he doesn’t get much power play time so like he really did take a step back and there were high hopes for KCK had of the Season he did get that initial chance to play with zanah j and crder and we’ve talked about it in nauseum where blame goes to Zannah ja and Cryder as well but kako still couldn’t take advantage of that situation I still think that he can be a very effective third R third line player with the chance of kind of moving around in the lineup um so again it’s all about perspective here and if they did trade him I would be open to that I would it’s gotten to the I said said this at the end of the season where it’s it’s to the point now where um in the right move I think you have to consider it but I also think that I I wouldn’t just give up on him he’s 23 years old he’s been a lead now for Five Seasons so like you you kind of know what he is as a player but I still think there there’s a lot more there that we just haven’t seen even if it’s not going to be any near where he was drafted because I don’t think that we’re going to get that that that I feel strongly about I I don’t think he’ll replicate anything close to the hopes and dreams that there was when he was drafted second after Jack Hughes in the 2019 draft um however like I thought that 2022 playoffs with the kid line was a good one for him you know obviously with L frer and heel and you know again that 2023 season while it was wasn’t eye popping it was pretty good and he took a step back 13 goals in 61 games that isn’t that isn’t so awful to be honest with you but like only but the 19 points in 61 games like that’s the worst Pace that for that that is his lowest points per game that he’s had in any of the Five Seasons that is even worse than his rookie year by a little bit his rookie year which was a struggle for him 66 games 23 points this is 61 games 19 points so it even falls short of that so you know and in part it’s a byproduct of again like not getting much power play time which he never really had that much power play time to begin with probably now less even less than it had been previously but still was never that much to begin with and then also like he did settle into a third line role but again he had that he had that chance before he got hurt and he didn’t take advantage of it so for kako I hope that for him the mindset is trying to get better with foot speed um he needs to just again he’ll never be a speed Dynamo that’s not going to be his game but but he’s got to keep up just a little bit more I hope that he gets a little bit more penalty kill time I I I think that he is a responsible defensive player I know there’s a lot of good candidates for on this forwards wise on this team so it’s tough for kako to crack that top six but I think that it’s I think it’s reason able um for him to at least be given a shot there especially if he’s not going to get that much power play time I think why why not see what he can do on the PK so that’ll be interesting uh to see again I don’t think it’ll be like a a big time roll but I think just a little bit kind of like what you see maybe with like Jimmy vzy where um you know he he doesn’t play a CR well I guess it depends sometimes he does but you know think even like Alex wenberg who was kind of part of like a third Duo um because obviously you know it’s going to be manag crder if Goodra is on the team you know he’s going to be getting the Lion Share of opportunities but but I got to think I don’t know maybe like try him I guess tro was with good all I’m saying is that I think that that is something that they should explore just to give him a little bit more ice time but for kako look we could be talking about a situation in a few weeks where I’m on here talking about a trade that involves kako that is very much on the table still we don’t know but my guess and just based on what Chris jury had said and you can’t read too much into the into those press conferences the end of the season it just it seems as if that there is a chance that he will stay with the team um and I know there’s a lot of different opinions among among the fan base and look I I just hope that jury makes the best decision possible if that means trading him then trade him if that means sticking with him then I think that there is a path forward here so again kako signs a one-year contract extension for $2.4 million that was the qualifying offer that was accepted and so now they now next year you kind of just you know move it forward because he will be a restricted free agent at the end of next season so um another decision will have to be made um a year from now if he’s still on the team and this is a really big year for kako he really needs to step up and really needs to prove himself and solidify himself as someone that can be a part of the New York Rangers moving forward so we’ll see what happens but again it has been announced that the Rangers in Capo cako have agreed to a one-year contract extension [Music]
The deal comes in at an AAV of $2.4 million (his qualifying offer). The NYR 2019 second-overall pick will seek better results in his 6th NHL season and year two under Peter Laviolette.
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