This was no fuss, no muss and it bodes well for the futures of both parties regardless of where their respective futures may play out.
But the Rangers’ signing of impending restricted free agent Kaapo Kakko to a one-year deal for his $2.4 million qualifying offer as first reported by The Post, represents a win-win deal for both the team and the 23-year-old Finn, who sacrificed his arbitration rights ahead of July 1.
If Kakko — whose difficult, injury-interrupted season that was punctuated by his Game 2 healthy scratch against the Panthers in the conference final — remains with the club entering next season, general manager Chris Drury, head coach Peter Laviolette and the staff will have at the very least a dependable checking wing with an eminently cost-effective contract.
On the other hand, Kakko’s contract is also eminently tradeable. The decision to forego arbitration following a 13-16-29 season in 61 games with average ice time of 13:17 will be a benefit to clubs who might inquire about acquiring the winger proximate to the June 29-30 entry draft that will be held at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
Kakko, the second-overall selection of the 2019 draft behind the Devils’ selection of Jack Hughes after the pingpong balls and champagne corks popped on Broadway, has not fulfilled his potential here, certainly not until this point, for a variety of reasons shared mutually.
The Rangers have been to the conference finals twice in the past three years and two different head coaches — Gerard Gallant in 2022 and Laviolette this year — chose to make Kakko a healthy scratch. This is not what anyone envisioned.
Interestingly, Laviolette took a share of the blame for Kakko’s stunted growth throughout the season in which No. 24 started the season with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad but could not hold the spot. It happened later in the season, as well, bouncing back and forth to the third line.
“In my conversation with Kaapo, I took my responsibility. As a coach, I didn’t find it with him,” Laviolette said at breakup day after stating that he believes that Kakko does have top-six capability. “I think he’s a good player and we were all hoping he would take another step.
“My responsibility as coach is to unleash these players. You hope it happens with all of them, but with some it doesn’t and I have to figure out a better way to get him involved. There’s responsibility on him, too, what he brings to the table and what he brings to the game.”
Kakko, for his part, pointed at no one but the individual staring him in the mirror in an impressive display of accountability.
“I came for this season, felt pretty good, [had a] new coach and a new chance,” Kakko said. “I talked with him after the summer, he told me I was getting the chance to play with Mika and Kreids and I felt pretty good about that.
“But all those games we played together, it never worked out that well. If you’re playing those minutes you have to score some goals and I feel that line never scored that much. I can’t say I never got the chance. If I had been a good enough player it wouldn’t matter who is with me.”
Kakko has played 300 career games, with 57 goals, 60 assists and 117 points. When asked at breakup day if he wanted to be back he said, “We’ll see.”
This contract makes it easier for Kakko to both stay and go.
Good work from both sides.