NASHVILLE, Tenn. – If a diagnostic was run in the Rangers locker room, the pH balance would tip toward acidity.
When captain Jacob Trouba was traded to Anaheim to end a more than four-month battle, just as one disgruntled player was ejected, another was sent off for understandable reasons. rose to prominence.
Kaapo Kakko didn't mince words as he reflected on his healthy injury in St. Louis, where the Rangers continued to lose despite head coach Peter Laviolette's personnel decisions.
It was the first time the 23-year-old Finn was a healthy scratch in the regular season, but the third time during his tenure with the Rangers, having sat out Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022 and 2024.
“I was surprised, yeah,” Kakko said. It was the lowest he's been since he was selected No. 2 overall by the Rangers in 2019. I think it's easy to pick on young guys and get rid of them. To be honest, that's how I feel. ”
There was no doubt that Kakko felt that he did not deserve to be a weirdo. Statistics certainly support that theory.
But the numbers didn't need to say anything because Kakko said it himself.
Kakko noted that he hasn't been on the ice much this season to score goals, which is also due to the fact that he had the fewest 5-on-5 goal appearances among the Rangers, who had played every game up until Sunday. It is supported. contest.
“I was never the worst guy,” he said. “But it took me out of the lineup.”
On the night of the Blues game, Laviolette said the reason for Kakko's absence was to add a new leg to the lineup for the second day of the back-to-back.
Kakko hinted that it would be easier for Laviolette to stick with young players rather than veterans.
Laviolette added that she plans to keep her message to Kakko a secret between the two of them, but that she doesn't care if No. 24 feels how she feels.
Regarding the idea that young players are more vulnerable than veterans, Laviolette pointed to players like Jimmy Vesey, Riley Smith and Johnny Brodzinski sitting.
“We have some older guys who are out,” Laviolette said. “The decisions I make are difficult ones. Our team, Capo, our team — we have to play better. We're 3-10 in 13 games, but it's not enough. We all need to play a better brand of hockey.”
It's been clear since the offseason that the way the Rangers' management is doing is having a negative impact on the team.
There were complaints that president and general manager Chris Drury placed Barclay Goodrow on waivers in a prior arrangement with the Sharks and bypassed Goodrow's no-trade list by failing to provide 15 minutes' notice.
The publicity about how much Rangers wanted to move on from yet another captain didn't sit well with Trouba or his teammates. The team disbanded after Drury's league-wide trade memo was leaked.
Now, there's another player on the Rangers who has a lot of hate.
It's probably a better situation to trade him at this point.
Kakko said the reason Laviolette asked him to scratch was because the veteran coach needed to make changes to the Rangers' sluggish lineup.
So did Kakko feel the need to speak with the Rangers' coaching staff about what he wants from them when he returns to the lineup Tuesday night against the Predators?
“That's not what I meant,” Kakko said. “If they have something to say, they'll say it, but I'm not going to go there.”
