Kakko notched an assist in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Capitals.
Kakko set up linemate Will Cuylle for a first-period goal. That duo, along with center Filip Chytil, have emerged as a strong third line for the Rangers' deep offense. Kakko has seven points this season, five of which he's earned over the last four contests. The Finnish winger has added 14 shots on net, 12 PIM and a plus-9 rating through nine appearances overall.
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Rangers' Kaapo Kakko: Goal, two assists in win
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Kakko scored a goal on three shots and had two assists, including one on the power play, in Tuesday's 7-2 win over Montreal. He added one block, one hit, two PIM and a plus-2 to his line.
Kakko caught goalie Cayden Primeau napping with his shot from the right faceoff circle to cap the scoring on the night. The 23-year-old forward earlier assisted on tallies by Braden Schneider and Filip Chytil. Kakko is off to a strong start with five points and a plus-7 through six outings.
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Rangers' Kaapo Kakko: Slides helper Saturday
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Kakko recorded an assist and went plus-3 in Saturday's 6-5 overtime loss to Utah.
Kakko and linemates Will Cuylle and Filip Chytil were effective at both ends of the ice in the high-scoring contest. Through two games, Kakko has one assist, six shots on net and a plus-4 rating, and he's maintained a spot on the second power-play unit. The winger is still relatively unproven on offense after he was limited to 19 points in 61 regular-season games last season, one year after a 40-point effort.
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Rangers' Kaapo Kakko: Agrees to one-year deal
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Kakko signed a one-year, $2.4 million contract with the Rangers on Thursday, Peter Baugh of The Athletic reports.
Kakko was set to become a restricted free agent in July after completing his two-year, $4.2 million contract. He struggled in 2023-24, recording just 13 goals and 19 points across 61 regular-season contests after setting career highs with 18 goals and 40 points in 82 regular-season outings in 2022-23. The 23-year-old can't be counted out, but he certainly hasn't lived up to his potential after being selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Look for him to open next season as a part of the Rangers' middle six.
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Rangers' Kaapo Kakko: Offers helper Saturday
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Kakko logged an assist in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Hurricanes in Game 4.
Kakko set up a Will Cuylle tally in the first period. Through eight playoff outings, Kakko has two points, 12 shots on net, six hits and a plus-1 rating. The winger had just 19 points over 61 regular-season games, and his lack of steady offense is a large reason why he's been limited to a bottom-six role in the postseason.
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Rangers' Kaapo Kakko: Finds twine early in Game 4
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Kakko scored a goal on three shots in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Capitals in Game 4.
Kakko tallied just 57 seconds into the contest. He snapped a nine-game point drought with the goal. Over four playoff outings, Kakko has eight shots on net, six hits and a plus-1 rating while logging bottom-six minutes. With the Rangers enjoying relatively good health, Kakko doesn't have an obvious path to a larger role, so his offense is likely to remain limited.
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Rangers' Kaapo Kakko: Scores 11th of season
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Kakko scored an unassisted goal during Thursday's 3-2 shootout win over Colorado.
The tally is Kakko's 11th goal of the year. While he has just 16 points through 52 games, his scoring rate has improved some over recent weeks. He now has three goals and four points over the last seven games.
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Rangers' Kaapo Kakko: Scores Saturday
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Kakko scored a power-play goal on four shots in Saturday's 4-0 win over St. Louis.
Kakko put the finishing touches on the Rangers' shutout victory, burying a rebound on the power play to extend the lead to 4-0 in the third period. The goal was Kakko's first point in six games, though he continues to play a solid two-way game on New York's third line. The 23-year-old Kakko is up to eight goals and 12 points through 42 games this season.
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Rangers' Kaapo Kakko: Pots game-winner Tuesday
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Kakko scored the game-winning goal in Tuesday's 3-2 victory over the Stars.
The 23-year-old winger gave the Rangers a 2-0 lead midway through the second period, taking advantage of the open ice during a 4-on-4 situation and going top shelf on Scott Wedgewood from the faceoff dot. Kakko hasn't had a multi-point performance all season, but he has found his way onto the scoresheet in five straight games and has four goals and seven points in the last nine contests. The second overall pick in the 2019 Draft has yet to put together a breakout campaign in the NHL, but he might be heating up for the stretch run.
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Rangers' Kaapo Kakko: Scores Thursday
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Kakko scored a goal on two shots in Thursday's 7-4 win over Montreal.
Kakko put the finishing touch on the Rangers' offensive outburst Thursday, skating through the Habs' defense before beating Sam Montembeault with a wrister to extend New York's lead to 7-3 midway through the third period. The 23-year-old Kakko now has points in three straight games and six points (four goals, two assists) in 13 contests since returning from a 21-game stint on IR. While he's been limited to primarily a third-line role, Kakko's demonstrated some chemistry with Will Cuylle and Jonny Brodzinski on the third line. Kakko's up to six goals and nine points through 33 games this season.
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Rangers' Kaapo Kakko: Misfires in return from break
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Kakko posted one shot on goal, four missed shots and two PIM in Monday's 2-1 overtime win over the Avalanche.
Kakko went into the All-Star break on a two-game goal streak, but his timing was a bit off in his return. In addition to missing the net on four shot attempts, Kakko also had his stick tied up with a loose puck sitting in front and Alexandar Georgiev out of position in the first period. Immediately after missing that golden opportunity, Kakko was whistled for a tripping penalty. The 22-year-old's having a career-worst season with just six points in 29 appearances.
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Rangers' Kaapo Kakko: Ready to rock
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Kakko (lower body) was activated from long-term injured reserve ahead of his return to the lineup Sunday against Washington, Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports.
Kakko had been seeing the majority of his playing time alongside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider prior to missing the past 21 contests. The 22-year-old Kakko has two goals, one assist, 23 shots on net and seven blocked shots over 20 appearances this season.
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Rangers' Kaapo Kakko: Close to returning
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Kakko (lower body) is day-to-day at this stage of his recovery, coach Peter Laviolette told Peter Baugh of The Athletic on Wednesday.
Kakko joined the Rangers for Wednesday's practice while wearing a full-contact jersey. He has two goals and three points in 20 contests this season. Although the 22-year-old did record 40 points last season and still has considerable potential, he's likely to serve in a bottom-six capacity once he returns from his injury.
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Rangers' Kaapo Kakko: Wearing non-contact jersey Thursday
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Kakko (lower body) is back at practice Thursday, albeit in a non-contact jersey, according to Arthur Staple of The Athletic.
Kakko has been out of action since Nov. 27 versus the Sabres and this represents another step in his eventual return to action. Kakko has been a huge disappointment this season, as he has only two goals and an assist in 20 games, not what you would expect from a 22-year-old forward who was taken second overall in the 2019 Draft.
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Rangers' Kaapo Kakko: Resumes skating
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Per Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today, coach Peter Laviolette said Friday that Kakko (lower body) has skated on his own three or four times recently.
Kakko was injured Nov. 27 versus Buffalo and has missed the last 10 games. Kakko got off to a tough start before suffering the injury -- he has only two goals and three points in 20 games. this year The second overall pick in 2019, Kakko has been a disappointment thus far in his NHL career.
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Rangers' Kaapo Kakko: Placed on LTIR
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Kakko (lower body) was put on long-term injured reserve Tuesday, per CapFriendly.
Kakko, who was injured in Monday's 5-1 loss to Buffalo, will miss at least 10 games and 24 days following his move to LTIR. According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, Kakko is expected to be out for a significant amount of time, but it is not believed to a season-ending injury. The 22-year-old forward has two goals, one assist and 23 shots on net through 20 games this season. Jonny Brodzinski, who was called up from AHL Hartford on Tuesday, is projected to replace Kakko on the third line.
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Rangers' Kaapo Kakko: Lights lamp for just second time
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Kakko scored a goal in Monday's 6-3 road loss against the Stars.
Kakko ended up with two shots on goal and a hit in his 10:28 of ice time over just 15 shifts. His goal was just his second of the season, and first since Oct. 21 in Seattle. He had been scoreless in the past 10 games since that last goal against the Kraken, too. He'll look for points in consecutive points for the first time in Wednesday's road game against the Penguins.
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Rangers' Kaapo Kakko: Scores for 100th career point
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Kakko scored a goal in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Kraken.
The goal was Kakko's 100th career point (45 tallies, 55 helpers), a mark he achieved in 244 contests. The marker also stood as the game-winner in the contest. The 22-year-old winger is off to a bit of a slow start despite seeing time on the top line at even strength. He has two points, 10 shots on net and a plus-1 rating through five appearances.
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Rangers' Kaapo Kakko: Skates on top line Opening Night
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Kakko had three shots and a plus-1 rating across 14:34 TOI in Thursday's 5-1 win over the Sabres.
Kakko skated on the top line alongside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider at even strength. The second overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft also led the team with 2:51 TOI on the power play Wednesday, though that usage is deceiving, as Kakko and the Rangers' second power-play unit saw extensive ice time on a man-advantage opportunity that spanned the final 1:06 of the third period with the game well in hand. Despite his quiet performance Opening Night, Kakko's top-line role has him in position to build on last season's career highs of 18 goals and 40 points.
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Rangers' Kaapo Kakko: Snags helper in Game 1
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Kakko picked up an assist in Tuesday's Game 1 clash with the Devils.
Kakko has been rolling of late with four goals and one assist in his last eight contests, along with 18 shots. Paired with fellow youngsters Filip Chytil and Alexis Lafreniere on the Rangers' third line, the 22-year-old Kakko should continue to rack up points in the playoffs.
