Rangers Loan Kalle Vaisanen To Finnish League For 2024-25 Season
Back in April, the Rangers signed winger Kalle Vaisanen to his entry-level deal and it looked like he’d be playing his first full season in North America in 2024-25. However, that won’t be the case as Ilves in Finland’s Liiga announced that New York has agreed to loan Vaisanen to them for the upcoming year although he might participate in training camp with the Rangers in the fall before going over.
The 21-year-old was a fourth-round pick by New York back in 2021, going 106th overall after a strong showing offensively in Finland’s junior system. Vaisanen has spent the last two full seasons at the top level but unfortunately for him, production has been rather difficult to come by. He had five points in 47 games in 2022-23 and only boosted that output to nine goals and five helpers in 58 games with TPS last season but impressed enough to get his first contract and a late-season stint with AHL Hartford.
While it would have made sense for Vaisanen to get a full season in with the Wolf Pack, they’ve decided it’s better to let him get another year in back at home though he’ll now do so with a new team. Once his campaign in Finland comes to an end, Vaisanen will likely return to North America and could very well get into a handful of games in Hartford as he did last season.
Rangers, Kalle Väisänen Agree To Entry-Level Contract
The New York Rangers have signed 2021 fourth-round draft pick Kalle Väisänen to a three-year, entry-level contract (Twitter link). Väisänen moves to the Rangers after spending the last three seasons in the Liiga, Finland’s top league, playing for TPS’ top club after growing through their youth program. He becomes the second Rangers prospect to sign his first NHL deal on Tuesday, alongside defenseman Victor Mancini.
In signing Väisänen, New York is adding yet another big-frame to an increasingly growing roster. The Finnish winger stands at 6-foot-5, 200-pounds and knows how to use it, showing a strong skating ability for his size and not shying away from physical play. He’s proven effective in the gritty areas of the ice, capable of winning battles in the low slot or corners. But Väisänen has yet to find his scoring groove at the top level, with just 24 points across 137 Liiga games. He’s proven a bit more effective when facing his peers, scoring 50 points in 45 games in Finland’s U20 league. He also managed four points in 12 World Junior Championship games, across two tournaments with Finland.
While Väisänen can certainly play physically, he’s not much of a bruiser, with his most penalized season coming in 2018-19 when a 16-year-old Väisänen managed 38 penalty minutes in 17 U16 games. That’s far from the track record of his new peers – including Matt Rempe, who already has 54 penalty minutes through his first 13 NHL games. But the Rangers have shown they know how to develop big-frames into heavy-hitting pros through players like Rempe, Adam Edstrom, and Brandon Scanlin. They’ll begin another project with Väisänen now set to join North American pros next season.