Kaapo Kakko from Finland is thrilled that his opportunity for the Olympics has come.
Kaapo Kakko’s Olympic Journey Amid Injuries MILAN — Kaapo Kakko faced a tough moment in mid-November when he encountered his second injury of the NHL season. He was genuinely worried that this setback might derail his dreams of competing in the Olympics. “After my first injury, I got there quite early and thought, maybe there’s […]
Rangers’ Will Borgen adding valuable toughness after Kaapo Kakko trade
DENVER — Will Borgen has been a solid fit in the Rangers' defense since coming to New York in the Kaapo Kakko trade on Dec. 18. The 28-year-old blueliner, who changed teams mid-season for the first time in his six-year NHL career, didn't have the luxury of training camp or preseason games to learn a […]
Ex-Ranger Kaapo Kakko thriving with Kraken in expanded role
Kaapo Kakko got the role he always wanted in New York in Seattle. Before going scoreless in the Kraken's 4-3 loss to the Canucks on Thursday night, Kakko had one goal, two assists and 10 shots in his first five games with his second NHL team. . The 23-year-old Finn skates on the right wing […]
Kaapo Kakko isn’t hiding Rangers discontent after scratch
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 […]
Kaapo Kakko still looking to make Rangers impact without top-six role
Kaapo Kakko burst onto the world stage with strong performances, leading the Finnish team to gold medals at both the 2018-19 World Junior Championships and the 2019 World Championships, and was selected second overall by the Rangers in June of the same year. Ta. Five years have passed since then, and although his NHL career […]
Kaapo Kakko, Alexis Lafreniere eyeing very different Rangers leaps
The Rangers had the top two picks in consecutive drafts in 2019 and 2020, a kind of lottery luck designed to change the franchise's fortunes if those picks turn out well. Neither Kaapo Kakko, the No. 2 overall pick in 2019, nor Alexis Lafreniere, the top pick the following year, were instant stars for the […]
The diverging Rangers fates of Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko
SUNRISE, Fla. — The Rangers’ top two overall picks have been in close alignment for the most part since the ping-pong ball rose from the machine in 2020 to give manager Jeff Gorton the right to select Alexis Lafreniere with the first overall pick. Lafreniere and Kapo Kako experienced similar struggles when they first came […]
Rangers’ Kaapo Kakko still stewing over Game 2 scratch
SUNRISE, Fla. — Kaapo Kakko is back in the Rangers lineup, for now. But the winger still wasn’t too happy when he was informed on Monday that he would miss Game 2 for medical reasons. “All the players want to play,” Kako said, “so I’m not happy.” Rangers winger Kaapo Kakko handles the puck during […]
Kaapo Kakko back in Rangers’ lineup after Jimmy Vesey injury
Welcome back, Capo Cuckoo. Rangers guard Jimmy Vesey was ruled out Friday with an upper-body injury, and Kako missed Game 2 for medical reasons but returned to the lineup for Game 3 against the Panthers on Sunday afternoon. Blake Wheeler was another option but has been sidelined. Wheeler hasn’t played since suffering a lower-body injury […]
Kaapo Kakko can flip his Rangers script
WASHINGTON — One of the most interesting aspects of the Rangers’ record-setting regular season was that only a select few players went on to have careers. This leaves room for growth in the NHL’s best-record lineup. There is room for players to restate their claims. There is an opportunity to create new stories. “I think […]