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Kaapo Kakko

Kraken Activate Frédérick Gaudreau, Place Kaapo Kakko On IR, Assign Ben Meyers

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The Seattle Kraken activated center Frédérick Gaudreau off of injured reserve before Saturday’s win over the San Jose Sharks. He came one day short of missing a full month of action, after sustaining an undisclosed injury in Seattle’s October 16th loss to the Ottawa Senators. In a corresponding move, the Kraken have placed winger Kaapo Kakko on injured reserve. He was designated as out week-to-week with a lower-body injury by head coach Lane Lambert, per Kraken broadcaster Alison Lukan.

Gaudreau was immediately folded back into the lineup. He played nearly 17 minutes of ice time on Saturday and recorded two shots and one block. Gaudreau recorded one assist and five blocks in five games prior to his injury. He has stepped up as a core piece of the Kraken bottom-six in his first season with the club. Gaudreau spent the last four seasons with the Minnesota Wild, where he posted 134 points in 307 games. That includes career years in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. He posted his highest scoring seasons in those years, netting 44 and 38 points respectively.

It isn’t entirely clear when Kakko sustained his injury. He hasn’t played since leaving Thursday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets in the first period. He appeared to sustain a non-contact injury – headed down the tunnel after an awkward stumble on a faceoff. Kakko missed the entirety of October with a broken hand that also required an IR placement. He returned for seven games, and managed no scoring, before falling out of the lineup once again.

Rookie Berkly Catton stepped back into the lineup in Kakko’s absence. The 19-year-old was an electric scorer through four years in the WHL, including back-to-back 100-point seasons over the last two years. Despite that, he has only recorded three assists through 13 NHL games this season. Catton should stick in the lineup as Seattle looks to continue developing their young stars, though Lambert has shown a preference for limiting the youngster’s ice time. He will continue operating behind Ryan Winterton, Jani Nyman, and Tye Kartye.

With Catton’s standing seemingly ensured, Seattle has also assigned Ben Meyers back to the minor-leagues. Meyers hasn’t appeared in the lineup since Thursday. He has three points, eight shots on goal, and 14 hits through nine games this season. He’s also recorded two goals and a minus-four in three games with the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. Meyers scored 51 points in 57 AHL games last season, and will look to get back to that productivity with this transaction.

Kraken Issue Several Injury Updates

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The Kraken have had more than their fair share of injury issues over the first six weeks of the season.  Head coach Lane Lambert provided some updates on that front today, via team reporter Alison Lukan (Twitter link) and there is both good and bad news.

The good news is that center Frederick Gaudreau is getting close to returning from an upper-body injury that has sidelined him for close to a month while winger Jared McCann (lower body) is making progress and could travel with the team on their upcoming road trip.  However, the bad news is that winger Kaapo Kakko is listed as out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Gaudreau is in his first season with Seattle after being acquired from Minnesota over the offseason.  The 32-year-old was injured in the fourth game of the season and hasn’t returned since then.  Gaudreau had an assist in those four outings but struggled at the faceoff dot, winning just 18 of 51 draws.  He has 61 goals and 92 assists in 414 career outings and should return to the bottom-six role he had last month once he’s officially activated off injured reserve.

As for McCann, he only lasted one more game than Gaudreau did, getting injured in the fifth game of the campaign.  He was off to a strong start before being sidelined after tallying three goals and an assist while logging over 17 minutes per night.  The 29-year-old has surpassed the 60-point mark in three straight seasons so getting him back potentially sooner than later would be a real shot in the arm to an offense that ranks 30th in goals scored heading into Saturday’s action.

Kakko, meanwhile, has had a rough first full year with the Kraken.  After a solid showing in the second half of last season landed him a three-year deal over the summer, he broke his hand late in training camp, missing the first few weeks of the regular season as a result.  The 24-year-old has struggled since returning, notching just one point – a goal – in seven games with that tally coming in his last outing against Winnipeg before departing with this injury.  Now, he’ll be forced to sit for a while once again which certainly won’t help his chances of making Finland’s roster for the Olympics in February.  He remains on the active roster for now but will likely be shifted to IR once Gaudreau is ready to return.

Kraken Expected To Activate Kaapo Kakko

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It has been a tough season on the injury front for Seattle with several key players missing time already and several players still on injured reserve.  That number will be dropping by one, however, as Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic relays (subscription link) that winger Kaapo Kakko is expected to be activated off IR and suit up tonight against the Rangers, his former team.  Officially, he’s listed as a game-time decision, per team radio host Mike Benton (Twitter link).

The 24-year-old suffered a broken hand late in training camp that was expected to keep him out for six weeks.  Assuming he’s indeed activated for tonight’s game after being a full participant in practice Friday, he’ll come in slightly ahead of that target.

Last season was a mixed bag for Kakko.  Re-signed to a one-year, $2.4MM contract before qualifying offers were tendered, it looked like it was shaping up to be his last chance in New York.  That turned out to be the case.  After putting up just four goals and 10 assists in his first 30 games, the Rangers decided to pull the trigger on a move, sending him to the Kraken for defenseman William Borgen, plus 2025 third and sixth-round picks.

After the swap, Kakko found himself with a more consistent opportunity in Seattle’s top six and he made the most of it.  Over the final 49 games, he notched 10 goals and 20 assists while his ATOI jumped by nearly four minutes a night, showing some of the promise that made him the second overall selection back in 2019.

That showing was also good enough to give him enough leverage for a multi-year deal this summer.  In his final season of RFA eligibility, Seattle tendered Kakko a qualifying offer and the two sides eventually avoided arbitration with a three-year, $13.575MM contract that gave Kakko the security he was seeking and the Kraken a couple of extra years of club control.  Now, after missing the first month of the season, it looks like he’s set to try to get back to the same type of role he had down the stretch.

Kaapo Kakko Out Six Weeks With Broken Hand

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It has been a busy day for the Kraken today.  After making 21 cuts from their training camp roster earlier today, they will now be without a key forward when the regular season gets underway.  The team announced (Twitter link) that winger Kaapo Kakko is expected to miss the next six weeks due to a broken hand.

Kakko was acquired midseason from the Rangers last season in exchange for defenseman William Borgen, plus 2025 third and sixth-round picks.  The move worked for New York as they quickly locked up Borgen to a long-term deal while it also worked quite well for the Kraken.

Before the swap, Kakko had just four goals and 10 assists in 30 games but the change of scenery helped him rediscover his offensive form.  He picked up 10 goals and 20 helpers in 49 games with Seattle while his playing time went up by nearly four minutes per game to a little over 17 minutes a night as he became a regular in their top six.  He also had a pair of assists in two games in this month’s preseason action.

In the 2024 offseason, Kakko looked like a possible non-tender candidate before effectively accepting his $2.4MM qualifying offer before it was even officially tendered.  But the way he finished up with Seattle gave him much more leverage heading into an arbitration-eligible summer and he was able to ink a three-year, $13.575MM pact that gives him some security and the Kraken two extra years of club control.

It’s a tough blow for the 24-year-old as that second-half positive momentum is now on hold since he’ll miss at least the first month of the season.  While Seattle shouldn’t need to put him on LTIR given that they have plenty of cap flexibility at the moment, Kakko will be eligible to go on there if necessary as he’ll miss at least 10 games and 24 days.  From there, he’ll hope to pick up where he left off as Seattle will be counting on him to be a top-six piece for them upon his return.

Kraken Sign Kaapo Kakko To Three-Year Contract

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Earlier today, the dates for the seven remaining arbitration-eligible players were revealed.  However, one player who won’t need that hearing after all is Kraken winger Kaapo Kakko.  The team announced that they’ve reached an agreement on a three-year contract that will pay $4.525MM per season after being set to exchange arbitration figures on Wednesday.  GM Jason Botterill released the following statement:

Getting a contract done with Kaapo was a top priority this summer. We knew quickly he’d be a big part of our team moving forward. He’s got size, skill and tremendous playmaking ability, and isn’t afraid of going to the net. He fit in immediately with our group, and we’re thrilled to have him under contract.

The 24-year-old was the second overall selection back in 2019 by the Rangers and had seemingly been on thin ice in New York for a couple of years.  The two sides agreed on a one-year, $2.4MM contract last offseason, well before qualifying offers were due to be submitted, avoiding any risk of the Rangers non-tendering him to avoid arbitration rights.

The deal seemingly represented a last-chance opportunity for Kakko and it’s fair to say he didn’t make the most of it.  He managed just four goals and 10 assists in 30 games with New York and in December, the Rangers pulled the trigger on a trade, sending him to Seattle for defenseman Will Borgen, a 2025 third-round pick, and a 2026 sixth-round selection.

The change of scenery seemed to give Kakko a boost.  He averaged just under a point per game over his first month with the Kraken and overall, he picked up 10 goals and 20 assists in 49 outings.  Combining his stats with New York, Kakko’s 44 points represented a career high, giving him some leverage heading into contract talks this summer.

Considering that Kakko’s career numbers of 71 goals and 90 assists in 379 games is rather pedestrian, Jason Botterill is clearly banking on Kakko’s second-half production being a sign of things to come.  He got the bigger role he was hoping for following the swap, logging a little over 17 minutes a night of playing time after averaging just over 13 minutes a night prior to the swap.  It’s clear that, based on this deal, Seattle feels that Kakko can be a legitimate top-six forward for them moving forward.

Beyond his entry-level contract, this is the longest agreement that Kakko has signed.  It’s a pact that buys out his first two UFA-eligible seasons, giving the Kraken a longer look at him.  It will also allow Kakko to potentially reach the open market at 27 in 2028, putting him in a position to possibly secure a long-term, big-money agreement if he’s able to maintain and build off his strong first half-season with Seattle.

With the signing, the Kraken now have a little under $6.5MM in cap space, per PuckPedia.  They still have one key restricted free agent to sign in defenseman Ryker Evans.  He’s not arbitration-eligible but Botterill should have enough flexibility to sign him to a long-term agreement if the sides can work one out.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report the signing. 

Photo courtesy of Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images.

Arbitration Schedule For Remaining Cases Finalized

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The arbitration hearing dates for the few remaining unsettled cases have been finalized, PuckPedia reports:

F Kaapo Kakko, Kraken: July 25

G Arvid Soderblom, Blackhawks: July 28

F Maxim Tsyplakov, Islanders: July 29

D Dylan Samberg, Jets: July 30

D Conor Timmins, Sabres: Aug. 2

F Nicholas Robertson, Maple Leafs: Aug. 3

D Jayden Struble, Canadiens: Aug. 3

There are only seven out of this year’s initial 11 player-elected arbitration cases still without a resolution as the hearings approach. Winnipeg had three of the players on that list and has settled with two of them, reaching a two-year, $3.7MM settlement with Morgan Barron and a substantial six-year, $45MM deal for Gabriel Vilardi.

The Ducks also had two arbitration cases on that list, but settled with both of them in the past few days. Depth defenseman Drew Helleson got a two-year, $2.2MM contract, while emerging star goaltender Lukas Dostal signed a five-year, $32.5MM deal.

There were two team-elected arbitration cases this year, the Sabres’ Bowen Byram and the Mammoth’s Jack McBain, but both have been settled.

As for the seven players above, they can continue talks with their clubs on a new deal until the hearing begins. After that, they’re bound to the arbitrator’s decision.

Players who reach an arbitration hearing are only eligible to sign a one or two-year contract. Since the player filed for arbitration in all seven cases above, the team gets to choose the contract length after receiving the arbitrator’s decision on the AAV. However, only Robertson, Soderblom, and Struble would be eligible for two-year contracts. Everyone else is one year away from being eligible for unrestricted free agency status, so they can’t receive a multi-year arbitration award.

If the arbitration award exceeds $4.85MM in any case, the team can decline it and allow the player to become an unrestricted free agent.

Eleven Players Elect Salary Arbitration

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Eleven players across the NHL have elected for salary arbitration, per the NHLPA.

Those names include:

The deadline for second club-elected arbitration is Sunday at 5 p.m., with arbitration hearings scheduled from July 20 to August 4. Two seasons ago, 23 players filed for arbitration, and last summer, that number dropped to 14 — a downward trend that continues this year.

As a reminder, not every player is expected to head to a hearing, as negotiations will continue leading into July 20. However, each player who elects for salary arbitration is now prohibited from negotiating with other teams or signing an offer sheet.

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.

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