Rangers' Kaapo Kakko addresses trade rumors in one-on-one chat: 'There's nothing I can do'
TARRYTOWN - It’s not that Kaapo Kakko hasn’t seen his name floating around the internet or mentioned by talking heads in discussions about the upcoming NHL trade deadline. It’s just that the 23-year-old forward chooses not to focus on the things he can’t control.
“There’s nothing I can do,” he told lohud.com, part of the USA TODAY Network, from his locker at the MSG Training Center last week. “It's coming up, but I'm trying to stay away from it. I can’t do anything about it, so we'll see what happens. I just think about the next game, and that’s all that I need to care about.”
It’s fair to say there’s a healthy dose of skepticism surrounding any rumors about the Rangers dealing the No. 2 overall pick from the 2019 NHL Draft.
As one league source pointed out, there’s a big difference between listening and shopping.
It’s plausible that opposing general managers have called to see if they can buy low on a talented young player in the midst of a underwhelming statistical season – and if the right deal came along, there are very few players Blueshirts team president Chris Drury would mark as off limits.
Kakko doesn’t fall into the untouchable basket, but the expectation is that it would take a haul to pry him away at this stage. A rental on an expiring contract, even if it helps the Rangers fill the void left by injured center Filip Chytil, doesn’t meet that criteria.
After all, trades involving young, controllable assets are considered much more likely during the offseason.
As far as the March 8 deadline is concerned, Drury is looking to add, not subtract. And with veteran Blake Wheeler now likely out for the season due to a right-leg injury, the Rangers need more right wingers, not less.
Kakko surely recognizes that, which has helped him keep a level head through it all. But it’s not a topic of conversation he – or any of his teammates – are spending much time on around the rink.
“All the players, I think everybody knows, but nobody is saying anything about it,” he said. “There may be some fans out there, but I’m not (seeing it) too much. I feel like there’s rumors everywhere, but you never know what’s going to happen.”
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Through years of being under the spotlight, the pride of Finland has developed thick skin.
Kakko’s status as a top prospect and high draft pick in the pressure cooker of New York has taught him not to worry about everything being said or written about him. That comes through in his candid, matter-of-fact answers.
“You can be a guy that thinks about those things all the time, but I think there’s no good to come from that,” he said. “You might not play well if you think about those things. It's not easy, but that's how I've been trying to handle that. When I came here to this league, everything that can happen, it’s not your choice.”
What is in his control is how he plays, and it’s no secret that he hasn’t secured his place as a no-doubt-about-it member of the Rangers’ core.
Kakko is not the flat-out bust some vocal fans claim him to be, and he certainly deserves credit for vast defensive improvement and solid underlying analytics. But his offensive production has fallen well short of what both he and the Blueshirts were hoping for.
Coming off his first 40-point season while playing all 82 games in 2022-23, he’s posted only 10 points (six goals and four assists) through 34 games this season. That represents a points-per-game average dip from 0.49 to 0.29.
That’s been a point of frustration, but there have been clear signs of Kakko turning his fortunes around lately. Six of his 10 points have come in his last eight games, including one each during his current four-game point streak.
It’s coincided with a move onto an unexpectedly effective third line featuring him, Jonny Brodzinski and rookie Will Cuylle. They lead all Rangers’ lines that have logged at least 60 minutes together with a 58.3% xGF, according to moneypuck.com.
“I think we’ve been doing a good job,” Kakko said. “We’ve been scoring some goals and getting some chances and getting into the O zone – all those things that we want to do. Just keep playing like that. Don’t think about your minutes. That’s how I try to think about it. Just play.”
If there’s anything that Kakko has let get in his head since arriving in New York, it’s ice time.
He’s been frank about his desire for more of it, at times wearing his disappointment on his sleeve when he’s been dropped in the lineup. But he’s tried to shift his focus to maximizing the minutes he gets, with good health an important part of that equation.
He’s missed chunks of time in two of the last three seasons, including a left-leg injury that cost him 21 games from late-November into mid-January. There was some lingering rust and physical kinks to work out in the initial weeks after his return, but he believes he’s turned the corner lately.
“I’m feeling better and better,” Kakko said. “When I came back, I felt good for a couple of games, then I was a little tighter, maybe – but still not too bad. It always takes time when you can’t play for a long time. You still work out, but it’s not the same. You need some games to get back. But right now, I feel good.”
The uptick in scoring, positive contributions from his line and ongoing improvement in his injured leg are all encouraging signs for No. 24.
Head coach Peter Laviolette has taken notice, offering high praise following the morning skate in advance Tuesday's 7 p.m. home game against the Dallas Stars.
"This is the best he's looked," he said. "To me, he's moving his feet, he's creating, he's playing with some attitude and some edge out there. The line has been good, but I think he's a big part of driving that line. Since he's been back from the injury, he just seems to be getting stronger and stronger inside of his game."
The trade speculation will continue for a few more weeks, but what the Rangers really need from Kakko is a strong finish.
That seems to be exactly where his focus is.
“I just try not to think about (the rumors),” he said. “That’s the easiest thing to do. I came here (for practice), and the next thing I’m thinking about is, ‘Don’t be late tomorrow for the morning skate.’ That’s all I need to know.”
NY Rangers (36-16-3) projected lineup: Game 56 vs. Dallas Stars (34-14-8)
When: Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.
Where: Madison Square Garden
TV/Radio: MSG Network/98.7 FM
Forwards
Top line ⊳ Chris Kreider (LW) ⋄ Mika Zibanejad (C) ⋄ Jimmy Vesey (RW)
Second line ⊳ Artemi Panarin (LW) ⋄ Vincent Trocheck (C) ⋄ Alexis Lafrenière (RW)
Third line ⊳ Will Cuylle (LW) ⋄ Jonny Brodzinski (C) ⋄ Kaapo Kakko (RW)
Fourth line ⊳ Adam Edström (LW) ⋄ Barclay Goodrow (C) ⋄ Matt Rempe (RW)
Defensemen
Top pair ⊳ K'Andre Miller (L) ⋄ Jacob Trouba (R)
Second pair ⊳ Ryan Lindgren (L) ⋄ Adam Fox (R)
Third pair ⊳ Erik Gustafsson (L) ⋄ Braden Schneider (R)
Goalies
Starter ⊳ Igor Shesterkin
Backup ⊳ Jonathan Quick
Long-term injured reserve: F Filip Chytil (upper body)
Healthy scratch: F Alex Belzile and D Zac Jones
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Rangers' Kaapo Kakko on trade rumors: 'There's nothing I can do'
