Kaapo Kakko missed his second game for the New York Rangers at the 2019 NHL Prospect Tournament in Traverse City, Michigan, on Saturday.
The forward, who was selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, has an unspecified illness and did not play in a 7-4 victory against the Dallas Stars at Centre Ice Arena. He also missed a 6-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday on the first day of the eight-team tournament.
The Rangers remain optimistic that Kakko will play at some point in the tournament, which ends Tuesday. He took part in a limited morning skate Saturday, the second time he has been on the ice here.
"It's just an illness. We hope he is playing on Monday, but of course, we are not going to pressure him or force that," Kris Knoblauch, coach of Hartford in the American Hockey League, said after the game. "If he is not 100 percent, he won't play. He skated this morning and looked pretty good. I wasn't here for the morning but heard he looked pretty good. Just not quite 100 percent. We hope after the weekend he is."
New York is off Sunday and plays the Minnesota Wild on Monday (2:30 p.m. ET) in the final game of group play. The Rangers also play Tuesday in a qualification game against an opponent to be determined.
The Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs are also participating in the tournament.
-- Shawn P. Roarke