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Kraken Acquire Kaapo Kakko

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The Kraken have added some extra depth up front, acquiring winger Kaapo Kakko from the Rangers.  In return, New York receives defenseman Will Borgen, a 2025 third-round pick, and a 2025 sixth-round selection.  Both teams have announced the swap.

Kakko was the second overall pick in 2019 but while he has shown flashes of being an impact player, he has also struggled to produce with consistency over his now-six-year career.  The 23-year-old has only reached the 40-point mark once thus far, that coming back in 2022-23 when he had 18 goals and 22 assists in 82 games.  His output dipped to just 19 points in 61 games last season, resulting in the two sides agreeing on a one-year, $2.4MM contract back in June, a move that didn’t do anything to slow the trade speculation surrounding him.

This move comes not long after Kakko voiced his frustration with being a healthy scratch over the weekend as the Rangers continued to try to shake up their lineup to snap their recent drought.  That frustration was justifiable as he is off to a reasonable start this year, picking up four goals and ten assists in 30 games despite spending a lot of time in the bottom six, averaging just 13:17 per contest.  Hovering around half a point per game in that role is certainly decent output, one that Seattle will welcome to add to an offensive group that sits in the middle of the pack.

As for Borgen, the soon-to-be 28-year-old has been a physical presence over his four-year tenure with Seattle who selected him from Buffalo in the expansion draft.  Last season, he posted career bests in assists (22), points (25), blocked shots (111), hits (195), and ATOI (17:35) and looked to be on his way toward a bigger role on the back end.  However, that hasn’t exactly been the case this season as he has been limited to just one goal and one assist in 33 games while his playing time has dropped to 15:12 per night, a career low.

Despite his struggles, NHL.com’s Dan Rosen reports (Twitter link) that the Rangers had been coveting Borgen for a while.  With the departure of Jacob Trouba to Anaheim, they needed a bit more defensive depth and this move should allow Victor Mancini to return to AHL Hartford where he can have a bigger role.  Borgen is also in the final season of his contract, one that pays him $2.7MM so New York takes on a small amount of money with this swap.  Notably, he’s eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer while Kakko will have one more RFA year remaining.

Considering his draft stature, it seems like a fairly low price for Seattle to pay to acquire Kakko and they’ll hope that a change of scenery can help unlock the offensive potential that helped make him the number two pick.  Meanwhile, with New York seemingly unsure about committing a long-term deal to him, they’ve elected to make a move more geared toward the present rather than trying to maximize value in the form of higher draft or prospect compensation.  With the two selections they added, they now have seven for the upcoming draft.

Interestingly, the 2019 draft class has seen quite a few first-round picks moved already.  As Peter Baugh of The Athletic points out (Twitter link), eight of the top 19 selections from that year have already been traded, including three of the top four selections.  Among those who haven’t moved, a couple (Dylan Cozens and Trevor Zegras) have been in trade speculation themselves in recent months so the number of high picks on the move from that class could be growing even more soon enough.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rangers’ Kaapo Kakko Frustrated With Healthy Scratch

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New York Rangers winger Kaapo Kakko spoke openly at Tuesday’s practice about being healthy scratched on Sunday night. He told media, including Peter Baugh of The Athletic, that he was surprised by the decision and that he felt head coach Peter Laviolette may have been singling out the young guy. Kakko went on to say, “Nobody’s playing great right now… I haven’t been on the ice too much when they score a goal. I have not been the worst.”

Kakko’s vocal stance against his scratching ring loud on a Rangers team that’s gone 3-7-0 in their last 10 games. But his recent efforts might not be strong enough to back the pride. He has just one assist in six games since December 1st – making him one of the lowest-scoring forwards on the team in that span, next to Adam Edstrom (zero points, seven games) and Brett Berard (one point in four games). Both players have also recorded more shots, hits, and blocks than Kakko as of late – painting a clearer picture of why Laviolette opted to scratch the 2019 second-overall pick. The decision didn’t do much to change New York’s fate. They went on to lose 3-2 against St. Louis, though Berard scored the Rangers’ first goal of the game.

The lost games and hard feelings seem to be pulling both the Rangers, and their fourth-highest draft selection in club history, into a new low. Kakko is no stranger to being healthy scratched, having sat out of multiple regular season and Conference Finals games before – but he’s rarely been so vocal. His comments could drive the wedge between player and club even further, bringing more energy to trade rumors that stretch as far back as 2022. The Rangers have said they aren’t looking to make any more moves after dealing captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks, but they may need to bank on Kakko’s value sooner rather than later. He hit a low last season, netting just 19 points in 61 games after a career-high 40 points in 2022-23. And while he’s bounced back from that a bit this year with a much more promising 14 points in 29 games, he seems to be falling into old struggles once again.

New York could find reasonable replacements on the open market, with St. Louis Blues winger Brandon Saad the easiest choice. Saad has totaled 138 points in 259 games and four seasons with the Blues and tended to operate out of the team’s middle-six. The Blues have shown no hesitancy making bold moves this season – recently acquiring career-Anaheim Duck Cam Fowler – and reportedly have Saad on their trade block. The details of swapping a young, former second-overall pick for a 30-year-old would certainly be nuanced, but the trade could certainly be a quick option.

For now, any trade speculation is just that. Kakko said he’s motivated to return to the lineup, and Laviolette batted away questions about his comments. The head coach mentioned that older players have sat as well – citing Reilly Smith and Jonny Brodzinski – and that it’s okay for Kakko to be upset. Brodzinski is expected to step out of the lineup again on Tuesday to make room for Kakko’s return. Defenseman Urho Vaakanainen is also expected to make his Rangers debut on Tuesday, after being acquired in the trade that sent Trouba to Anaheim. Vaakanainen brings much-needed shutdown defense to the team that’s allowed the fifth-most goals in December. New York will hope that can prove a difference-maker before they’re forced to explore the trade market, or begin questioning more engrained veterans.

Rangers Notes: Panarin, Kakko, Laviolette, Trades

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The New York Rangers announced earlier today that star forward Artemi Panarin would not play tonight against the St. Louis Blues and is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. It’s not exactly clear when the 33-year-old’s injury occurred but it is more bad news for a team that fell out of a playoff spot last night.

Panarin currently leads New York in scoring with 15 goals and 21 assists in 29 games and has been one of the few Rangers stars to meet offensive expectations thus far. New York ranks 20th in the NHL in offense and outside of Panarin, just three other Rangers forwards have topped 20 points on the season, with the next closest being William Cuylle with 22 points in 29 games.

In other Rangers notes:

  • Arthur Staple of The Athletic tweeted that Rangers forward Kaapo Kakko was a healthy scratch today against St. Louis. Kakko’s scratch will surely add fuel to the trade rumors about the former second-overall pick. The 23-year-old is mired in a slump that has seen him produce just a goal and two assists in his past 12 games. Kakko’s offensive numbers are up from last season, but many of his underlying numbers are down and he’s received favorable deployment, starting nearly 60% of his even-strength shifts in the offensive zone.
  • Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported that the Rangers have no appetite to make a coaching change at this time and Peter Laviolette’s job is not in jeopardy. The Rangers have made several coaching changes in recent years, firing Gerard Gallant two years ago and David Quinn four years ago. Laviolette is in his second season In New York and took the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. He is not even halfway through the three-year contract that the Rangers gave him in June 2023 that pays him a salary just shy of $5MM annually (as per TSN’s Pierre LeBrun).
  • Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet is reporting that the Rangers have essentially put a for-sale sign-out and are listening to trade offers on just about everyone in their lineup other than goalie Igor Shesterkin and those with no-movement clauses (Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck and Adam Fox). The Rangers have been in a free fall since starting the season 5-0-1 and are just 3-7 in their last ten games.

Ruhwedel Recalled From Hartford

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  • The Rangers have brought up some extra defensive depth in the absence of K’Andre Miller. The team announced (Twitter link) that veteran Chad Ruhwedel has been recalled from AHL Hartford.  Ruhwedel has only played once with New York this season but has recorded three assists in 11 games with the Wolf Pack.  The 34-year-old has 365 career NHL contests under his belt over parts of 13 seasons.

Rangers Place K’Andre Miller On Injured Reserve

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Add K’Andre Miller to the list of injured Rangers defensemen. He sustained an upper-body injury in Wednesday’s win over the Sabres and will be placed on injured reserve today, Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today Sports reports.

The left-shot defender was not on the bench for the third period of Wednesday’s game. Head coach Peter Laviolette declined to confirm when Miller sustained the injury, although, as Mollie Walker of the New York Post points out, he took a big hit from Buffalo winger Jordan Greenway midway through the second that could have caused the damage.

The IR placement rules him out through Dec. 18, so he’ll miss three games at the fewest. After tomorrow’s game against the Kings, the Rangers have a three-game Central Division road trip. Miller won’t travel with the team, Mercogliano reports, so he’ll likely miss a fourth as well. That positions his earliest possible return date as Dec. 22 against the Hurricanes.

As it has for many Rangers skaters, it’s been a tough year for Miller. He’s on pace for career lows offensively with just two goals and six points through 28 games, and he’s also on track to post a minus rating for the first time in his five-year run in the NHL. In his nearly 600 minutes on the ice at even strength this season, the Blueshirts have out-attempted opponents 537-517 but have been outscored 32-25.

The Rangers’ win over Buffalo was just their second this month. Since beating the Canucks on Nov. 19, the 2023-24 Presidents’ Trophy winners are 3-8-0 in their last 11 games with a -14 goal differential.

AHL mainstay Connor Mackey is replacing Miller’s top-four minutes alongside Braden Schneider to start, per Mercogliano. Urho Vaakanainen remains unavailable with an upper-body issue after being acquired from the Ducks for ex-captain Jacob Trouba last week.

Kevin Shattenkirk Announces Retirement

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Unrestricted free agent defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk has announced his retirement after 14 NHL seasons and 952 regular-season games, per an NHLPA release. The 35-year-old wrote a lengthy message to his seven NHL teams, their staffs, and his family, and shouted out many other specific helpers and mentors, one you can read entirely on his X account.

The 6’0″, 212-lb Shattenkirk made his NHL debut four seasons after being drafted 14th overall by the Avalanche in 2007, but the Boston University product didn’t last long in a Colorado uniform. After recording seven goals and 26 points in his first 46 NHL games for the Avs, they dealt him to the Blues in a blockbuster trade before the 2011 deadline that saw former first-overall pick Erik Johnson head the other way.

By the time the 2011-12 season rolled around, he’d established himself as a fixture in the Blues’ top four, posting 43 points and a +20 rating in his sophomore season while placing 18th in Norris Trophy voting. “Shatty” went on to have the most productive years of his career in St. Louis, routinely averaging over 20 minutes per game, earning Norris votes three times, and totaling 59 goals and 258 points in 425 regular-season games as a Blue. He ranks seventh in Blues franchise history in goals, assists and points and sits 12th on the all-time franchise games played list among blue-liners.

St. Louis routinely made the postseason with Shattenkirk in tow but only advanced past the first round twice. But with Shattenkirk in the final season of his contract in the 2016-17 campaign and set to earn a considerable raise on his previous $4.25MM cap hit, St. Louis made him arguably the top rental acquisition available at the 2017 deadline and shipped him to the Capitals for a haul that included a first-round pick, later flipped to the Flyers to acquire future captain Brayden Schenn (Philadelphia used the selection to draft Morgan Frost). Shattenkirk managed 14 points in 19 regular-season contests for Washington but hit a rut in the postseason, limited to a goal and six assists in 13 games with a -4 rating as the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Caps were upset by the Penguins in the Second Round.

Shattenkirk understandably wasn’t brought back and hit free agency that offseason, inking a rich four-year, $26.6MM commitment with the Rangers. However, his offensive production and possession play dipped significantly upon arriving in Manhattan. After posting a career-worst 0.38 points per game and a -15 rating in the 2018-19 campaign, New York bought out the final two seasons of his contract and made him a UFA again ahead of schedule.

He landed a one-year, $1.75MM pact with the Lightning, receiving reduced minutes on a stacked defense core that featured names like Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh and Mikhail Sergachev ahead of him on the depth chart. He responded with 34 points in 70 games, a much-improved 53.7 CF%, and added 13 points in 25 playoff games as he captured his first and only Stanley Cup.

Shattenkirk became a free agent again at season’s end. After rebuilding his market value in Tampa, he inked another multi-year deal, heading back to the Western Conference on a three-year, $11.7MM pact with the rebuilding Ducks. Anaheim had just a 71-114-35 record in Shattenkirk’s three seasons in Orange County. However, the New York native still averaged top-four minutes and posted 77 points in 212 appearances as a stable veteran presence along with Cam Fowler on an otherwise inexperienced Ducks back end.

After his tenure in Anaheim quietly ended in 2023, he joined the Bruins on a cheap one-year deal for the 2023-24 campaign. He played a supporting depth role more than anything else, serving as a semi-routine healthy scratch for the first time and averaging a career-low 15:47 per game. The right-shot defender still contributed 24 points in 61 games and received second-unit power-play duties, but that wasn’t enough to generate interest in a guaranteed deal for this season. Shattenkirk was connected to several teams on potential tryouts late in the offseason but opted not to sign any and didn’t participate in a training camp.

With Shattenkirk’s NHL career now officially in the rearview mirror, one of the few unsigned options on defense for teams still looking to add experienced depth is now off the market. He closes the book on a lengthy run in the pros that saw him record 103 goals, 381 assists and 484 points in 952 games. Along the way, he totaled 544 PIMs, 1,886 shots on goal, 928 hits, and averaged 20:17 per game for his career. His estimated career earnings total $60.725MM, per PuckPedia.

All of us at PHR extend our best wishes to Kevin as he enters the post-playing phase of his hockey journey.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Senators Owner Accuses Rangers Of ‘Soft-Tampering’

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The first day of the NHL Board of Governors meeting has started with some dramatics. According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the owner of the Ottawa Senators, Michael Andlauer, has accused the New York Rangers of  “soft-tampering.”

It’s safe to say there’s now a Brady Tkachuk-sized wedge between the two organizations. Andlauer’s statement was regarding a report from Larry Brooks of the New York Post indicating the Rangers were aggressively pursuing Tkachuk in a trade with the Senators.

Nothing indicates that Brooks’ report came from a leak within the Rangers organization but the Senators organization believes it did. Andlauer told LeBrun that Ottawa hasn’t discussed Tkachuk with any team and he hopes he will be the team’s leader for many years.

The accusation is understandably heavy and will likely be discussed at the Board of Governors meeting. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports the Rangers responded to the accusation by saying, “This is an irresponsible accusation and we defer to the Commissioner’s office.”

It’s a situation the league will likely investigate given its updated policies on tampering. The league was reportedly displeased with the number of contracts preemptively announced before free agency began on July 1st and sent a memo to all 32 teams.

Any team caught tampering could face fines as large as $5MM, lose draft capital, or even have contracts voided (although that wouldn’t apply in this scenario) should they be caught tampering. The last time a team has been charged with tampering by the league came back in 2016 when former-general manager for the Vancouver Canucks, Jim Benning, made public comments regarding P.K. Subban and Steven Stamkos which resulted in a $50K fine.

New York Rangers Reassign Dylan Garand

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The New York Rangers are returning to their regular look between the pipes tonight. The organization announced they’ve reassigned goaltender Dylan Garand to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Jonathan Quick, a more than reliable backup for the Rangers this season, let in six goals on 21 shots during New York’s collapse in the second and third periods. The situation paved the way for Garand to make his NHL debut after securing a 7-2-2 record in 11 games for the Wolf Pack this season. Nevertheless, the former 103rd overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft will continue to wait to make his first NHL appearance.

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Rangers Recall Dylan Garand And Connor Mackey

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December 9th, 9:18 AM: The New York Rangers have assigned Garand back to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL, signalling that Shesterkin will return to the lineup tonight.

December 8th, 9:49 AM: The New York Rangers announced that they’ve recalled goaltender Dylan Garand and defenseman Connor Mackey from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League. The 22-year-old Garand has been called up likely as a backup option for Jonathan Quick as Igor Shesterkin’s wife is in labor, and he is expected to miss the game. Garand has been terrific in Hartford this season, posting a .917 save percentage to go along with a 2.42 goals-against average. He posted his first shutout of the season on Friday night against the Rockford IceHogs and has a record of 7-2-2 on the season.

A 2020 fourth-round pick, Garand is on the smaller side, but his confidence appears to be growing as the season progresses and he is beginning to show a ton of upside.

Mackey has dressed in 22 games with the Wolf Pack this year and has tallied two goals and four assists with a +2 plus/minus rating. The 28-year-old has been a staple in the AHL during his professional career, dressing in 146 career games and registering 12 goals and 57 assists. The Tower Lakes, Illinois native is no stranger to the NHL, having dressed in 40 career NHL games with three different teams. Mackey has posted four goals and seven assists for 11 career NHL points.

It is expected that Mackey will serve as the Rangers’ seventh defenseman (as per Colin Stephenson of Newsday Sports).

Rangers Won't Name Replacement Captain At This Time

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  • With the Rangers trading Jacob Trouba to Anaheim yesterday, they now find themselves without a captain. However, don’t expect that vacancy to be filled right away.  Head coach Peter Laviolette told reporters including NHL.com’s Dan Rosen (Twitter link) that the team is not planning to name a new captain.  They’re open to appointing another alternate (to join Adam Fox, Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, and Mika Zibanejad) but that won’t happen right away.  New York has now moved its last three captains in midseason swaps with Trouba joining Ryan McDonagh and Ryan Callahan in that category.

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