The New York Rangers signed winger Kaapo Kakko to a one-year, US$2.4 million ($3.3 million) contract extension on Thursday, providing certainty on the team’s costs. one of the best candidates for a trade in the NHL.
Knowing Kakko’s salary helps other teams interested in acquiring him understand how they could fit him into their payroll. He was in line to become a restricted free agent and the $2.4 million is the same amount as the qualifying offer the Rangers would have had to pay to retain his rights.
Aged 24, Kakko could return to the Rangers, but the Finn had a difficult fifth season in the NHL and he does not seem to have been favored by head coach Peter Laviolette, who led the team to the Eastern Conference final before losing to the Florida Panthers.
Kakko has only 19 points this season and two in 15 playoff games. He was also scratched from the lineup once during the Eastern final.
Selected second overall in the 2019 draft, behind New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes, Kakko amassed 61 goals and 65 assists in 344 season and playoff games.
The Rangers have two other restricted free agents in their ranks, defensemen Ryan Lindgren and Braden Schneider. Forwards Jack Roslovic and Alexander Wennberg, acquired at the trade deadline, are on their unrestricted free agent list.