Kakko hoping for ‘fresh start’ with Kraken after trade from Rangers

Kaapo Kakko is hoping for “a fresh start” with the Seattle Kraken after five-plus inconsistent and, at times, tumultuous seasons with the New York Rangers.

The Kraken acquired Kakko, the 23-year-old forward in his sixth NHL season, from the Rangers on Wednesday for defenseman Will Borgen, and a third- and sixth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Kakko, selected by the Rangers with the No. 2 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, will make his Kraken debut against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Thursday (8:30 p.m. ET; CHSN+, KHN, KONG).

“I hope I’m going to get a chance over here,” Kakko said after Seattle’s morning skate Thursday. “I think that’s what the coach is telling me here, just play your game and they’re going to trust me. That’s all that I need. What I’m going to do out there is on me. I’m excited about that and ready to get out there and get things going.”

It’s been a trying week for Kakko.

On Sunday, he was a healthy scratch for the first time this season in what was a 3-2 loss against the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center. Kakko was also scratched once in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season.

The benching on Sunday frustrated Kakko, who had 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) and was a plus-9 in 30 games with the Rangers this season after struggling to produce and play with consistency last season, when he had 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) in 61 games.

On Tuesday, Kakko expressed his frustration at being a scratch prior to getting back in New York’s lineup against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.

He said he was surprised that he was singled out, saying, “it’s easy to pick the young guy and put him out,” and “I have not been the worst.”

The Rangers (15-15-1) lost 2-0 in Nashville, their 11th loss in the past 14 games. Kakko played a game-low 10:14 and had three shots on goal.

On Wednesday, after leaving the hotel sauna in Dallas, Kakko found out from New York general manager Chris Drury that he had been traded to the Kraken (15-16-2).

Seattle general manager Ron Francis said he had been discussing a trade for Kakko with Drury for about a week but talks escalated after Kakko was scratched.

Francis said he wasn’t sure if Kakko’s comments had anything to do with the timing of the trade.

“I would think when he was healthy scratched that Chris got a lot of calls, not just from me,” Francis said. “That tends to be the nature of the beast in our business. We had already started having conversations when the comments came out. It’s kind of an awkward situation, right. You’ve got a disgruntled guy in your locker room. So did that speed things up? It probably did, but at the end of the day I think Chris wasn’t just going to do something to do something.”

Kakko said he doesn’t think his comments, which he admitted were out of frustration, got him traded. The Rangers have said privately one had nothing to do with the other.

“I think the team was playing not well enough,” Kakko said. “A lot of good players over there. I think (they) need to do something over there. I was kind of waiting for something to happen. I knew also it might be me.”

Seattle coach Dan Bylsma said he thinks the change of scenery will benefit Kakko, saying it “can be a breath of fresh air and just kind of a signal to take the next step in your career, where you are as a player and what you bring. That’s what we’re hoping.”

Bylsma said he thinks Kakko’s size (6-foot-1, 215 pounds) and ability to hold onto the puck in the offensive zone will be big for the Kraken, who are 21st in the League in goals per game (2.88) and 27th in shots on goal per game (27.1) and 23rd in shot attempts percentage (48.6).

“He's a presence, a big presence,” Bylsma said. “We don't have a ton of that big presence, and we talk about playing in the offensive zone, having the puck in the offensive zone and getting to the net. It's a big body that can do all those things."

"We've looked for combinations to add more offense to Matty Beniers' game and to Chandler Stephenson's game and to Jared McCann's game. Adding Kakko in there, we think it can be a big push for our offense ... and what it does for the other guys around him."

Francis said Kakko will start in the Kraken’s top-six forward group and will play on the power play, possibly in the netfront position.

Kakko did not play top-six minutes and he was not a regular on the power play in New York, so already Francis said that will be increased minutes for him that could help translate to Kakko delivering more offense for the Kraken than he did for the Rangers; he had 131 points (61 points, 70 assists) in 330 games.

“He’s played 300 games, but he’s still only 23 years old,” Francis said. “We just think there’s the potential for upside and that’s why we made the deal to take that chance and work with him. Hopefully we can both get his game to where he wants it to be and where we want it to be.”