First, there was the relegation. Then, an injury. A former No. 2 overall pick, Kaapo Kakko always had potential throughout the early stages of his career with the Rangers. That goes back to before this season, when head coach Peter Laviolette anchored him on the top line.
But over three weeks in November, any progress disappeared. It wasn’t necessarily back when Kakko recovered from his lower-body injury and joined Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. Instead, a spark occurred when Kakko skated with both Will Quill and Johnny Brodzinski for the first time.
That was not the role that Cuckoo began when Laviolette took over.
His spot on Gerard Gallant’s kid line was replaced with a spot on a unit with two skaters who would go into the season appearing in a total of 102 NHL games.
But since Jan. 26, the first regular-season game in the Kakko-Quil-Brozinski regime, Kakko has scored 2 of 5 points and 4 of 8 points, including by the Rangers. Thursday’s matchup against the Canadiens, which includes assists in each of their last two games – they will look for their sixth straight win.
Kakko said Monday that he knows he can do “many other things.” His role doesn’t have to revolve around a “keep it simple” approach. But for now, Kakko seems happy with everything, as his line is one of the Blueshirts’ most effective combinations.
“That’s the role now,” Kakko told reporters after the Rangers’ 2-0 win over the Flames on Monday. “As I said earlier, our line is [is] He played a lot of important minutes. ”
With the Blueshirts and Calgary still scoreless in the second period, Kakko collected the puck and slid it down the boards, nearing the net and sliding it into his backhand, where the Flames’ Blake Coleman dove for a potential Interfered with the pass.
Kakko was waiting. He endured patiently. He didn’t do anything to the puck until Coleman decided to slide, then the 23-year-old pushed it toward the net. Kakko’s original shot couldn’t beat Calgary goaltender Jacob Markstrom. But Caillou kept banging down rebounds and eventually the puck ended up in the net.
“I think every time I step on the ice, something good happens,” Kakko said of his line.
On Monday, they compiled three of the Rangers’ 10 dangerous chances, per Natural Stat Trick, but Kakko’s batting lineup also combined for the fewest of those chances of the Blueshirts’ top three units. Only one of them was allowed. He also had the highest expected goals (0.81) among the Rangers’ forward group.
And when Quill’s goal was the game-winner, the eight minutes of ice time the Kakko, Brodzinski and Quill line spent together was the latest sample of everything that clicked for that group.
“Johnny brings a lot of speed,” Laviolette said. “He brings discomfort. He brings the puck to the net. I think Kaapo is good at protecting the puck. Will can skate and he brings physicality, so that’s a good blend between them. did a great job.
“It’s not just the goals they score. They’re in the offensive zone and they’re dragging the line in there to defend.”
Kakko’s latest work doesn’t have the connotation of where he’s from that newcomer Cuylle receives. It does not include the same late-career appearances included in Brodzinski’s story. If anything, Kakko is just inching closer to being part of what the Rangers envisioned when they made them a top-five pick in the 2019 draft.
He scored just two points in the first 11 games, along with Kreider and Zibanejad. Kakko added one more goal after his demotion, but missed the next 21 games after colliding with Eric Johnson along the boards on November 27, falling off the ice and being helped. His slow start ran into another obstacle.
Therefore, even with recent points taken into account, Kakko is likely to fall short of his career best 40 in 2022-2023 at this point this year. He won’t even reach the 20-goal mark for the first time. But with 29 regular season games remaining before he becomes a restricted free agent for the first time, and a potential playoff berth, Kakko has settled into a spot on the line that continues to generate scoring opportunities.
That’s needed as the Rangers look for ways to reinvigorate their offense. And that’s what Kakko needs at this point in his season and career.
“They continue to produce,” Laviolette said Monday of his third line. “I think they’ve been a really positive addition to our lineup.”
