Kakko, Lafreniere have chance for more ice time under new Rangers coach

GREENBURGH, N.Y. --Kaapo Kakko left New York in early May with the hope that a bigger opportunity will be waiting for him when he returns for training camp.

"Maybe get some power play time and also play more," Kakko said May 3, two days after the New York Rangers were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. "That's the next step. Play more next season, that's the goal."

Peter Laviolette is intent on giving Kakko and fellow forward Alexis Lafreniere the chance to do just that.

Laviolette, hired June 13 as the 37th coach in Rangers history to replace Gerard Gallant, who held the position the past two seasons, said Tuesday that Kakko and Lafreniere need opportunity to grow into the players they are supposed to become.

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Kakko was the No. 2 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. He's entering the final season of a two-year contract.

Lafreniere was the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. He can be a restricted free agent July 1 coming off his entry-level contract.

"They have to be given the opportunity to be counted on more," Laviolette said. "I think inside of a team, inside of the framework of a team, everybody wants to feel that responsibility. They want to feel valued with what they do. You're talking about a couple players who are coming off maybe their best years and they're still really young players. There's a growth that goes with that. You certainly would like to see them take the next step, more minutes, maybe a little higher up in the lineup, maybe more power-play time. With that there has to be opportunity."

Statistics alone show that Kakko and Lafreniere each had their most productive season in 2022-23.

Kakko, who at 22 years old has already played four NHL seasons, set NHL career highs in goals (18), assists (22), points (40) and games played (82).

Lafreniere, who wrapped up his third season, also set NHL career highs in assists (23), points (39) and games played (81). He scored 16 goals, a drop from 19 the previous season.

They did all that with limited opportunity, partially because of the players the Rangers have in front of them and partially because Gallant didn't force a balance of ice time on the power play.

Kakko and Lafreniere each got time in the top-six forward group at different points but mostly played together on the third line with center Filip Chytil, who at 23 years old also had his best season (45 points; 22 goals, 23 assists).

That was the Rangers' set third line after they acquired Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane in separate trades before the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline on March 3.

Kakko averaged 15:18 of ice time per game and Lafreniere 15:13, but where they were really limited was on the power play. Lafreniere averaged 1:23 per game with the man-advantage and Kakko 53 seconds per game. He played only 21 seconds per game on the power play after Kane made his Rangers debut March 2.

The bulk of the power-play time went to Artemi Panarin (3:35), Mika Zibanejad (3:30), Chris Kreider (3:27), Vincent Trocheck (2:58) and Kane (2:53 for 19 games).

The Rangers were seventh on the power play in the regular season (24.1 percent) and bumped it to 27.1 percent after Kane arrived, but 1-for-18 in the final five games of a seven-game loss to the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference First Round.

Lafreniere played 1:32 per game on the power play in the final five games against New Jersey. Kakko was barely on it, playing 32 seconds per game.

Laviolette appears intent on not letting that happen again.

"These conversations will take place," Laviolette said. "I certainly would like that. Those opportunities will be there for them to grab that ice time and to push."