Kaapo Kakko

Metropolitan Notes: Devils, Kakko, Penguins, Provorov

July 9, 2020 at 4:59 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

While the Devils ultimately opted to give Tom Fitzgerald the full-time GM role, at least two other executives received strong consideration for the position. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Leafs assistant GM Laurence Gilman and former Kings assistant GM Mike Futa received multiple interviews for the role and were considered serious candidates for the position. Meanwhile, Fitzgerald noted in a conference call with reporters that current assistants – including now-former interim head coach Alain Nasreddine – will have an opportunity to speak to Ruff about whether or not they’ll stick around, relays ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski (via Twitter).

Metropolitan Notes: Rangers, Brodeur, Holtby

June 21, 2020 at 12:59 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 4 Comments

With dates set now for training camp (July 10) and playoff start (July 30), pending an official agreement, many players currently residing in Europe will have to eventually make their way back to North American soil to prepare for the playoffs. While it might be too early for some to begin that process, Newsday’s Colin Stephenson writes that several New York Rangers’ players are preparing to start that process soon.

Forward Pavel Buchnevich will be the first to cross the ocean with his agent confirming that the 25-year-old, who has spent the pause in Russia, is expected to be in New York on Sunday. Other Rangers’ players are expected to follow, including Henrik Lundqvist, Mika Zibanejad and Jesper Fast, who are currently in Sweden; Kaapo Kakko and Alexandar Georgiev in Finland; and Filip Chytil from the Czech Republic. Artemi Panarin and Igor Shesterkin both opted to stay in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Players are expected to be tested for the coronavirus when they arrive in New York and then tested again in a week. If both tests are negative, they will then be cleared to practice.

Matt Larkin of the Hockey News writes that former New Jersey Devils’ goaltender Martin Brodeur is not interested in becoming general manager of the New Jersey Devils at this time. The longtime Devils goaltender moved from a hockey business position to a hockey operations role on Jan. 12 after the team fired Ray Shero as their general manager and replaced him with Tom Fitzgerald on an “interim basis.” However, Brodeur said that while that role interests him down the role, he’s not ready to take on that challenge yet. The 48-year-old currently lives in St. Louis and made it clear he might not be ready to take on a rigorous role as a general manager. “I’m not saying that one day, I won’t say, ‘You know what? This is the time for me to do it, maybe,’ Brodeur said. “But right now, I value my time off too much to get myself involved. Not that I’m not involved, as in my role I need to be pretty much present, but I’m able to kind of make my own schedule and not rely on the general manager setup.”
Sportsnet’s Luke Fox writes that while many people still envision goaltender Braden Holtby to be the Washington Capitals starting netminder when the playoffs resume, it will be critical for the upcoming unrestricted free agent to perform well. With the salary cap not likely to go up this year due to COVID-19, many UFA’s aren’t likely to score big free agent contracts. Holtby, who was outplayed by rookie Ilya Samsonov and posted poor regular season numbers with a career-low .897 save percentage, could benefit if he dominated in the playoffs.

Snapshots: Ferland, Kakko, Kunin, Sabres

June 19, 2020 at 8:59 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Canucks winger Micheal Ferland has resumed skating as he continues to work his way back from concussion issues, reports Rick Dhaliwal of TSN 1040 and The Athletic (Twitter link). He suffered a concussion back on October 30th where he missed a little more than a month. He tried to come back in December but was shut down in his second game. He made a second comeback attempt in February but was pulled from his first game on a conditioning assignment as the symptoms came back once again.

At that time, he was ruled out for the season but with play not resuming until into the summer, there’s now a possibility that Ferland could return while having the benefit of a full training camp to show that he has indeed recovered. If healthy, he can make a difference in the bottom six for the Canucks, bringing them a physical presence with some offensive upside after recording at least 40 points in each of the previous two seasons.

Elsewhere around the league:

People with diabetes are at a higher risk if they contract COVID-19 and accordingly, some have wondered if NHL players in that situation would opt out of playing. However, com’s Dan Rosen relays that Rangers winger Kaapo Kakko is expected to play in their play-in round series against Carolina while Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports the same for Wild winger Luke Kunin who is expected to suit up against Vancouver.
Now-fired AHL Rochester head coach Chris Taylor actually had a two-year extension verbally agreed to before getting let go among Buffalo’s big shakeup earlier this week, notes Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in his latest 31 Thoughts column. Ownership opted to hold up the deal which had been negotiated with ex-GM Jason Botterill and will now not honor it. The rationale for Taylor’s departure (which included his assistant coaches) was attributed to how the team wants to run the Amerks. In recent years, they’ve relied on veterans but it appears that they will shift towards a younger team with a higher emphasis on prospect development.

Metropolitan Notes: DeSmith, Ovechkin, Niederreiter, Kakko

November 16, 2019 at 1:07 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 6 Comments

The Pittsburgh Penguins had to choose between two goaltenders for their backup goaltending opening during training camp, eventually opting to place last year’s backup goalie Casey DeSmith on waivers and then sending him to the AHL, despite solid numbers last year. That demotion hit DeSmith hard, who reportedly was frustrated and hurt that Pittsburgh would do that, leading to disappointing performances early on.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach Mike Vellucci, however, said the two have talked about the move and DeSmith has bounced back recently, in a Q&A with Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“Yes, of course he was hurt and disappointed and all those emotions, which is understandable. I talked to him when he first got down here and I pulled him aside maybe 10 days ago and just said that from standpoint, he can’t let this affect him … So I think from that point on he’s been preparing to be the best he can and not worrying about things he can’t control. I think he’s settled in nice.”

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin looks to have avoided any supplementary discipline after Friday night’s hit against Montreal Canadiens’ forward Jonathan Drouin, in which Ovechkin crushed Drouin with a massive body check in the second period (video here). TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports, however, that there will be no hearing for the hit. The Canadiens went on to win 5-2.
Chip Alexander of the News & Observer writes that Carolina Hurricanes winger Nino Niederreiter is quite frustrated with his offensive struggles so far this season. The winger, who scored 14 goals in 36 games last season after being traded from Minnesota to Carolina, has just two goals and seven points in their first 19 games. The winger has had plenty of scoring opportunities, but has really struggled putting the puck into the net. He currently has an exceptionally low 5.9 percent shooting percentage, which he admits has gotten to him. “I try not to be,” he said. “If you’re not scoring and you don’t get the points then it’s obviously in your head.”
New York Rangers rookie Kaapo Kakko is feeling better as he has been out with the flu, according to The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello, but the team’s second-overall pick this season remains a game-time decision for tonight’s game against the Florida Panthers. Kakko has been hot recently with five goals in his last seven games.

East Notes: Devils, Kotkaniemi, Kakko, Jarry

November 14, 2019 at 8:56 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The start of the season for the Devils has not gone well, to put it mildly. Their new acquisitions haven’t been particularly productive and neither has Taylor Hall whose contract situation is on the front burner of the hockey hot stove. Perhaps even worse, their goaltending, which actually was pretty strong down the stretch last season, has struggled mightily as New Jersey ranks 30th in the league in goals allowed heading into Thursday’s action.

To that end, Jared Clinton of The Hockey News argues that GM Ray Shero should be looking into making a move to shore up their goaltending, one that’s bigger than their recent pickup of Louis Domingue as extra injury insurance. A combined save percentage of .880 from Cory Schneider and MacKenzie Blackwood isn’t going to get them into the postseason (or close to it) which would certainly lower their odds of re-signing Hall. If a goalie upgrade can improve both of those chances, it’s something Shero will seriously need to consider.

Elsewhere in the East:

The Canadiens are hopeful to get center Jesperi Kotkaniemi back for one of their upcoming games on Friday or Saturday, notes Postmedia’s Stu Cowan. The sophomore has missed six straight games due to a lingering groin issue. However, head coach Claude Julien indicated that if Kotkaniemi gets the green light to return, he’ll only play in one of those two contests.
Rangers winger Kaapo Kakko was a late scratch tonight but it’s not injury-related. The team announced (Twitter link) that he’s dealing with the flu. The rookie has come on as of late after a slow start as he has five points in his last five games.
While Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry made the team as the backup, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggests that their willingness to move him likely hasn’t changed with Casey DeSmith standing by in the minors. However, with only four appearances (three starts) this season, any potentially interested teams will almost certainly need to see more of him in the NHL before considering making a move.

Pending Decisions On Players Eligible For Contract Slides

October 13, 2019 at 7:33 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

While it’s less than two weeks into the season, several teams will soon be faced with an important decision when it comes to some of their top young talents. Once a junior-aged player plays in his tenth game of the season, it officially burns the first year of their entry-level contract. Some teams have shown a willingness to do so in recent years while others have been more hesitant. Here are the players that teams will need to need to make a decision in the near future.

Games played totals are as of Saturday, October 12. The list of players has been restricted to players that have played in at least one NHL game this season or are currently up with their team.

Tobias Bjornfot (Kings) – 3 GP – He has played in all but one game so far but it’s fair to say that Bjornfot has struggled at times. Los Angeles isn’t the deepest team defensively but from a longer-term perspective, it’s reasonable to think that Rob Blake would like to keep an extra cheap year on the books for when they’re likely to be more of a postseason contender so while Bjornfot is up for now, that may change before much longer.

Noah Dobson (Islanders) – 2 GP – Unlike a lot of players on this list, it’s the NHL or the CHL for Dobson and he was pretty dominant at the junior level a year ago. That makes it a bit more understandable that New York is keeping him around even if he isn’t a full-time member of their top-six yet. Dobson is probably going to be in a similar spot over the next month or so where he’ll get a few games but will spend a lot of time as a scratch as well. If they do decide to send him back to the QMJHL, they’ll be limiting how long he actually spends there.

Martin Fehervary (Capitals) – 3 GP – Feharvary making the opening roster one year after being a mid-second-round pick came as a surprise but he held his own. However, with Washington having some cap concerns, they’ve already sent him down. They did so early enough that he could come up for a couple of weeks without triggering the first year of his deal but instead, it will be how he performs in the AHL that determines whether or not his contract will begin this season or next.

David Gustafsson (Jets) – 0 GP – This isn’t an injury situation; the Jets have simply made the 2018 second-round pick a healthy scratch in every game so far. He’s still under contract in the SHL (though his contract isn’t known to contain a European Assignment Clause) so this could simply be a case of them trying to decide what path is the best for his development. It’s hard to imagine him going past nine games at this stage.

Barrett Hayton (Coyotes) – 2 GP – For the second straight year, Hayton broke camp with the Coyotes but playing time has been sparse so far. Similar to Dobson, he’s in NHL or CHL territory and there isn’t much left for him to prove in junior hockey. This should be another case where he’ll be up for a while yet but his playing time will be limited until they decide whether or not to keep him for ten games or more.

Ville Heinola (Jets) – 5 GP – A month ago, Heinola wasn’t even on the radar for a roster spot coming into training camp despite the departures of several key defenders. Now, with Dustin Byfuglien gone as well, there’s even more ice time up for grabs and he has made the most of it, logging over 19 minutes a game. Unless Byfuglien changes his plans quickly, there’s a reasonable chance he’ll get past the nine-game mark (though he has been scratched for two straight games now) but the second threshold may be one to watch for here. (More on that shortly.)

Jack Hughes (Devils) – 5 GP – This one is pretty much a given. While he has looked a little overmatched at times, Hughes has still shown several promising flashes. Top picks will get a long look and there’s no reason to think that won’t be the case here. Barring a big surprise, he’ll be up for the full season.

Kaapo Kakko (Rangers) – 3 GP – Playing time has been limited due to a strange scheduling oddity that has the Rangers playing just three times in the first two weeks of the season so that means it will take until a little later in the calendar for him to get to nine games. He hasn’t looked out of place through his three games and there’s little reason to think he won’t be up for the season.

Rasmus Sandin (Maple Leafs) – 6 GP – Sandin has played in every game so far, albeit in a rather limited role. Travis Dermott’s return isn’t too far away and once he’s activated, there may not be a spot for Sandin. Accordingly, Toronto could hold Sandin out for a couple of games in the next couple of weeks if they wanted to play it safe. If he does get into ten games, he’s another player who the second threshold will be a factor on.

For some teams, preserving that extra cheap year on an entry-level deal is crucial but others have been more inclined to go past that threshold and focus on the second one instead. That one is 40 games on the roster and that one includes games as a scratch; it’s not games played-focused. Once a player meets that threshold, they accrue one year of eligibility towards unrestricted free agency. In other words, they burn a year of team control at that time.

Getting to that threshold would allow for more evaluation for the prospects and in the cases of Dobson and Hayton, it would limit how much time they’d ultimately be forced to spend in junior at a level they’re already above if they were indeed sent back. Anyone who goes past the ten games played mark but doesn’t reach 40 on the active roster won’t have enough service time to be eligible for an offer sheet at the expiration of their contract either which also has to be taken into consideration.

For players like Hughes and Kakko, it’s a safe bet that the decision is all but made already; they’ll be sticking around for the entire season. Others like Gustafsson appear to be likely to not get to ten games played. But there are a handful of prospects that teams are going to make a call on before too much longer, even if they do scratch them for some games to delay having to make that decision. With things largely quiet on the trade front in the early going, this will be one of the elements to watch for over the next few weeks.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: New York Rangers

August 25, 2019 at 5:56 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 7 Comments

Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2019-20 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

New York Rangers

Current Cap Hit: $80,489,799 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Kaapo Kakko (three years, $925K)
F Vitali Kravtsov (three years, $925K)
D Adam Fox (three years, $925K)
G Igor Shesterkin (two years, $925K)
D Yegor Rykov (two years, $925K)
F Filip Chytil (two years, $894K)
F Lias Andersson (two years, $894K)
F Brett Howden (two years, $863K)
D Libor Hajek (two years, $833K)
G Alexandar Georgiev (one year, $792K)

Potential Bonuses:

Shesterkin: $2.85MM
Kakko: $2.65MM
Kravtsov: $850K
Fox: $850K
Andersson: $850K
Chytil: $350K
Georgiev: $133K

The Rangers are in a fantastic position to be successful for the next several years as the team hit the jackpot in the draft and with being able to sign several of their top prospects this summer. Obviously, the most attractive of the bunch will be Kakko, the team’s second-overall pick in this year’s draft, who is expected to jump into the Rangers’ top-six immediately and is supposed to be more NHL-ready than any of the 2019 lottery picks. The 18-year-old scored 22 goals last year in the Liiga, playing alongside adults and is believed to be ready. On the other hand, the team also signed their ninth-overall pick in 2018, Vitali Kravtsov, who also spent last season playing with adults as he tallied eight goals in 50 games in the KHL. While he is expected to begin play with the Rangers next season, he may be penciled into more of a third-line role to begin with.

New York also brought in a pair of quality defenseman, which included trading for Fox, who forced a trade out of Carolina to get to the Rangers. The team then signed him to a three-year entry-level contract, prying him away from a senior season at Harvard. Fox, had a monster year as a blueliner, posting nine goals and 48 points in 33 games for the Crimson and looks ready to step into their blueline immediately. The team also managed to sign Rykov, their fifth-round pick from 2016, who has now played three full seasons in the KHL and could be ready to step in, although with the depth on their blueline, Rykov could start the season in the AHL.

On top of all that, the Rangers also managed to nab a stud goaltending prospect as well, signing Shestorkin, who many wondered whether he would ever come over to North America. At 23 years, old, Shesterkin has been a starter in the KHL for three straight years, putting up amazing numbers. Last season in 28 games, he posted a 1.11 GAA and a .953 save percentage. With the team’s goaltending situation likely looking different in the next few years, Shesterkin is the most likely heir apparent on the team. One player who could stand in his way is Georgiev, who only seems to have gotten better in the last year. While his overall numbers weren’t that impressive (33 games, 2.91 GAA, .914 save percentage), it did improve over the course of the year as the 23-year-old posted a 2.49 GAA and a .927 save percentage in 17 appearances after the all-star break, suggesting he could also find himself as the future.

The team also has to find out about what it has in both Chytil and Andersson. Both drafted in the first-round back in 2017, the two centers haven’t proven that they are part of their future yet. Chytil showed some success last year, scoring 11 goals and 23 points in 75 games, while Andersson got into 42 games last year, but only scored two goals and six points. Both must show they are ready to take that next step or they could find themselves replaced down the road. The team also has Howden, who appeared in 66 games last season and also must prove he can take on a bigger role. He tallied six goals and 23 points last year.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Chris Kreider ($4.63MM, UFA)
F Vladislav Namestnikov ($4MM, UFA)
F Ryan Strome ($3.1MM, RFA)
F Matt Beleskey ($1.9MM, UFA)
F Jesper Fast ($1.85MM, UFA)
F Greg McKegg ($750K, UFA)
F Boo Nieves ($700K, UFA)

The most intriguing story that likely will go on all season is what will the Rangers do with Kreider. The 28-year-old winger posted 28 goals and 52 points last season, but after the team shelled out quite a bit of money this offseason for other key pieces to their franchise, there are a number of questions whether the team can now afford to keep Kreider, who becomes a free-agent this summer. While it’s still possible that New York could trade Kreider before the season starts, it’s possible the team will keep the winger to bolster their ever improving top-six and deal with his contract later or potentially move him at the trade deadline. The problem is that if the Rangers become playoff relevant next season, the team might have a difficult time moving out Kreider and then might decide to hold onto him instead, potentially losing him for nothing on July 1.

Many players will have to prove their value to get a new contract. Namestnikov, who performed well with the Lightning, has been a disappointing since coming over in the Ryan McDonagh trade. The winger scored 22 goals in 2017-18, but still struggled after the trade and then managed to get 11 goals last year. With a $4MM contract, the team could use some cap relief, but have failed to find a taker for the 26-year-old. Strome will be a restricted free agent still after next season, but if he can duplicate what he did with New York last year, he likely could have a future with the team. Despite starting the first 19 games with Edmonton with just one goal, the trade to New York got him going as he scored 18 goals in 63 games after that.

Fast, Beleskey, Nieves and McKegg all are now depth options who will have to fight to win bottom-line depth and prove their value for a potential new contract.

Two Years Remaining

G Henrik Lundqvist ($8.5MM, UFA)
D Marc Staal ($5.7MM, UFA)
D Brendan Smith ($4.35MM, UFA)
F Pavel Buchnevich ($3.25MM, RFA)

The team still has two more years remaining with Lundqvist at a high AAV, but the team has also seen the 37-year-old’s play continue to decline. While his GAA has dropped consistently in the last few years, it was his save percentage that dropped to a .907 save percentage, the lowest mark of his career. Much of that could have a lot to do with the Rangers’ rebuilding process this year. The team has to hope that if they can limit his starts (he played in 53 games last season) and with the improvement of both the offense and defense this season, Lundqvist should be able to bounce back. With the addition of Shesterkin and development of Georgiev, that is quite possible to pull back his starts into the 40-range.

The team is stuck with a pair of veterans in Staal and Smith. Both were discussed as potential buyout options this summer, but it was decided that neither move would have helped the team in the long-term. Staal continues to be a solid, but unspectacular blueliner and should continue in that role, while Smith will have to prove he belongs on the team and could find himself buried in the AHL as he was in the 2017-18 season due to his struggles.

The team has hopes that Buchnevich will continue to progress this season. He has gotten better each season in the league and is currently on a bridge-deal to prove his value. With 21 goals and 38 points last season, Buchnevich could be a key component of the Rangers future, especially if he can take his game up a notch next year. Ultimately, the 24-year-old is playing for a big contract in two years.

Three Years Remaining

F Mika Zibanejad ($5.35MM, UFA)

The Rangers finally got what they wanted last season when Zibanejad took that next step and proved to be the No. 1 center the team has been waiting for for years. The 26-year-old put up a career-high 30 goals, but more importantly saw his points improve from 47 points in 2017-18 to 74 points last year. With that next step taken, the Rangers have now added the firepower next to him to give the team one of the top lines in the league with Zibanejad as the centerpiece. The Rangers signed him to a five-year deal back in 2017 when he tallied just 14 goals and 37 points in 56 games, gambling on his potential, which now looks like quite a steal as the team still has three more years of a No. 1 center for a very reasonable price.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Artemi Panarin ($11.64MM through 2025-26)
D Jacob Trouba ($8MM through 2025-26)
D Brady Skjei ($5.25MM through 2023-24)

The Rangers took the next step in their rebuilding project this summer when they spent $19.64MM AAV on two key players. They had to go higher than they wanted to for Panarin, but the Rangers inevitably sealed the deal and locked him up for the next seven years, giving them one of the best left wings in the game and another key piece to turning the franchise around. With Panarin and Zibanejad already locked into the first line, the franchise has a solid core to start the season. Who will play on the right side will be determined at training camp. The 27-year-old Panarin put up impressive numbers last season, scoring 27 goals and adding a career-high 87 points last season. The team also went out and traded for Trouba, who for years had made it clear he didn’t want to be in Winnipeg. Once the Rangers acquired him, it took a little time, but they were able to extend him for seven more years. The pressure will be on Trouba, who now has everything he wants, which includes becoming the team’s No. 1 defenseman. He will have to prove that he is up to it in New York.

As for Skjei, the defenseman rebounded last year with a stronger season after struggling in 2017-18. Despite seeing his offensive numbers drop from 39 points to 25 and finishing 2017-18 with a minus-27 rating from his rookie season to his sophomore campaign, the Rangers still signed Skjei to a six-year, $31.5MM deal. While his points total didn’t change at all, his plus/minus did improve as he finished with just a minus-four rating last season. The hope is that his development will continue and he will remain a key top-four option for New York for years.

Buyouts

D Kevin Shattenkirk ($1.48MM in 2019-20; $6.08 in 2020-21; $1.43MM in 2021-22 & 2022-23)
D Dan Girardi ($3.61MM in 2018-19; $1.11MM from 2019-20 to 2022-23)
F Ryan Spooner ($300K through 2020-21)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Salary Cap Recapture

None

Still To Sign

F Brendan Lemieux
D Anthony DeAngelo

The cap situation will only get more challenging. Despite the Shattenkirk buyout, the team will have to pay out $6.08MM for him next season, which will make it difficult to continue to upgrade the team, another reason why Kreider might be difficult to re-sign.

However, the team does still need to sign two younger restricted free agents in Lemieux and DeAngelo. The team likes Lemieux’s irritating style of play and hope he can continue to improve in a bottom-six role with the team. DeAngelo also seems to have turned the corner and looks to be a lock on the team’s defense after several years of waiting on his skills to come around. With the cap struggles it’s dealing with this year, the team is still holding out hope that both players will eventually accept their qualifying offers to save the team money, while both players would prefer to get a little more.

Best Value: Zibanejad
Worst Value: Smith

Looking Ahead

The Rangers have pulled off an impressive rebuilding campaign that started in February of 2018 and in just a year in a half, the team has managed to bring in a number of top players and talent to give the team the faces of the franchise it needs to be competitive for many years into the future. With the impressive array of prospects it has managed to sign this offseason, the team has a bright future and a present that could begin as early as this year with Panarin and Trouba now under contract.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kaapo Kakko Signs Entry-Level Contract

July 11, 2019 at 1:04 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 7 Comments

The New York Rangers have agreed to terms with Kaapo Kakko on his three-year entry-level contract, getting a bit of business done before restricted free agents take up the rest of the summer. Kakko’s deal will likely kick in this season as he is expected to play in the NHL, and should contain a huge number of performance bonuses.

Kakko, 18, was the second overall selection in last month’s NHL Entry Draft after an outstanding season in Finland and internationally. The rangy, powerful forward broke Aleksander Barkov’s Liiga record of goals scored in one season by an under-18 player with 22, and won Rookie of the Year. That performance wrapped around an outstanding effort at the World Juniors where he and his Finnish teammates took home the gold medal. Kakko scored the game-winning goal in the final against Team USA and draft rival Jack Hughes.

With some unfinished business after his TPS squad was eliminated from league playoffs, the teenager then suited up for Finland again at the IIHF World Championship where he recorded six goals in ten games and once again helped Finland capture the gold. Even with nearly unprecedented success in his draft year, he was unable to pass Hughes for the honor to be selected first overall.

The Rangers won’t be complaining though, as Kakko is exactly the kind of franchise-changing talent that they can put in the middle of their rebuild. The team had already been growing a strong program with recent trades, but have now obviously turned the corner towards competing with the selection of Kakko and signing of Artemi Panarin. The wingers should form the basis of a solid forward core for years to come while other young talents like Filip Chytil, Lias Andersson, Brett Howden and Vitali Kravtsov fill in the rest of their impressive depth chart.

Obviously there may be growing pains for Kakko in his first season, but after showing he can compete against NHL stars at the international level he should step right into a substantial role with the Rangers in 2019-20.

Colorado Avalanche Select Bowen Byram Fourth Overall

June 21, 2019 at 7:42 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 8 Comments

After Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko went first and second respectively, as many anticipated, the Chicago Blackhawks made the first surprise pick of the draft with WHL center Kirby Dach. That left Bowen Byram, the top defenseman in the class and considered by many to be the third-best prospect as well, on the board for the Colorado Avalanche. Joe Sakic and company jumped on the opportunity, selecting Byram and further strengthening an elite young defense corps.

Byram is the consensus top defenseman in this draft class, and by a wide margin. Byram wasn’t just one of the best defensemen in junior hockey, he was one of the best players overall. The centerpiece of the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, Byram established himself as one of the most offensively gifted defensive prospects in recent memory. In 71 games, Byram totaled 26 goals and 71 points in 67 games. He then added 26 more points in 22 playoff games, becoming the first defenseman to ever lead the WHL in postseason scoring.

While Byram still has room to grow defensively, he is certainly a competent defensive player and sees the ice extremely well for a blue liner his age. Byram also possess more than enough skating ability to move the puck out of danger and can find space in all three zones. Byram is truly a high-end puck-mover with great offensive instincts and a powerful shot that he can use to create chances all by himself. Byram should push for an NHL role right away, but it also wouldn’t hurt for him to spend some more time at the junior level. With just a little time and patience, Byram could easily become a top-pair defenseman, power play quarterback, and one of the highest scorers at his position in the NHL. The same could be said for fellow Avs prospect Cale Makar, who could wind up on a dominant pair with Byram sooner rather than later. With Conor Timmins and Samuel Girard also in the fold in Denver, the Avalance blue line has a bright future.

New York Rangers Pick Kaapo Kakko At No. 2 Overall

June 21, 2019 at 7:25 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 3 Comments

The New York Rangers were in a win-win situation with the second overall pick in this year’s NHL Entry Draft, happy to take whoever the rival New Jersey Devils didn’t at No. 1. When the Devils, as expected, selected American center Jack Hughes, the Rangers were happy to swoop in an take Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko. Kakko did everything he could to push Hughes this season and few will argue that he isn’t the most pro-ready prospect in the draft class.

At 6’2″ and 190 lbs., Kakko already has NHL size but even more evident is his NHL ability. A strong player who can win puck battles and crash the net, Kakko can also just as easily stick handle around the opposition with finesse and vision. More importantly, his elite instincts allow him to nearly always know which approach to take. A goal-scoring threat at all times, Kakko will quickly become a dangerous presence at the NHL level.

Several of his soon-to-be competitors already got a glimpse of what he is capable of at the recent World Championships. Kakko notching six goals and an assist in ten games for Team Finland, showing that pro competition isn’t going to slow him down. In fact, he displayed that all year in the Finnish Liiga, recording 22 goals and 38 points in 45 games against older and more experienced players, and only improved as the year went on, as he showed with a point-per-game postseason performance. If that growth continues, Kakko will become the star of the Rangers’ impressive young core and could become one of the biggest names in hockey with major production in a massive market.

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