The Seattle Kraken and the newly formed New York Rangers met in the latest major trade in the NHL. The Kraken sent defenseman Will Borgen and two mid-round 2025 draft picks for the Rangers’ former second overall pick, forward Kaapo Kakko. The trade came almost immediately after the healthy team scratched him in a recent game and he loudly expressed his frustration at being on the bench.

Now the former Rangers striker is starting a new beginning with the Kraken. It was a tough time for Kakko on Broadway. The 23-year-old has the talent and drive to become a standout player at the NHL level, and Seattle’s front office is excited about his addition. Kraken general manager Ron Francis emphasized his skill and offensive potential in his remarks after acquiring Kakko.

“Kaapo is a young, dynamic striker who brings skill and attack to our club,” he said. “We are happy to have him with us.”

So far this season, Kakko hasn’t had much opportunity to showcase his dynamic abilities with the Rangers. He had fallen out of favor with the organization and his ice time dropped to just over 13 minutes per game. Despite the reduced ice time, he scored four goals and 14 points in the first 30 games.

What stands out, however, is that Kakko has managed to produce despite limited options. According to Puck IQ’s advanced player statistics, Kakko is averaging his best points per 60 minutes of his career, 2.09 points per 60 minutes of ice time. For reference, when the Finnish forward had his best career season in 2022-2023, he posted a clip of 1.73 points per 60 minutes of ice time. He finished that season with 18 goals and 40 points.

With Seattle, Kakko will see well over 13 minutes of ice time each game, and that could be an immediate advantage for him and the Kraken. Kakko also comes motivated and hungry to prove his previous organization wrong, which could lead to a successful new beginning for the Kraken’s newest striker.

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