Rangers debate: Should Kaapo Kakko get another shot on No. 1 line?

The New York Rangers have had a hard time filling the hole at right wing on their top line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider ever since Pavel Buchnevich was traded before the 2021-22 season. Over the past four years, former No. 2 overall pick Kaapo Kakko received numerous chances to thrive in this position, yet it’s never really worked out.

In fact, on breakup day this past June, Kakko lamented his failed opportunity on the top line in 2023-24. The 23-year-old wing from Finland was given the first crack to play alongside Zibanejad and Kreider, and there simply was zero chemistry and a severe lack of production.

Kakko eventually landed on the third line after a knee injury cost him 21 games. He finished with 13 goals in 61 games and added just one during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, when Kakko played in 15 of their 16 postseason games.

The Rangers signed Kakko this offseason to a one-year, $2.4 million contract , and he’ll be a restricted free agent at the end of this season. Then after the 2025-26 season. Kakko can be a UFA.

His name was in trade rumors this summer but the Rangers decided not to sell low on Kakko, perhaps banking on a motivated young player raising his production significantly this season.

Heading into training camp, coach Peter Laviolette must decide whether Kakko is a third-line player right from the start or if he should be given another chance to play with Zibanejad and Kreider.

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Debating whether Kaapo Kakko deserves another shot on Rangers No. 1 line

So, three weeks before camp begins, our Executive Editor Jim Cerny and Staff Writer Dane Walsh debate whether Kaapo Kakko should be given another opportunity to play on the Rangers top line this season.

Dane : I think this is a road that’s been travelled down one too many times. I’m really fond of Kakko as a player and a Ranger, but I don’t think he’ll ever really fit on that top line with Zibanejad and Kreider. Kakko has really matured defensively, and I think Laviolette found a comfortable spot for him on the third line last season. As much as I would love to see his offensive game take that step we all seem to be waiting for, I don’t think it happens on the top line.

Jim : You make several excellent points, Dane. And I’m not even sure Kakko would find success this time around playing with Zibanejad and Kreider, based on his poor track record with them — especially last season. But you know what, if you’re Laviolette and Chris Drury, you owe it to yourselves and the organization to see if Kakko can make a go of it on the top line. This is his age-24 season and likely his last with the Rangers if he doesn’t produce at a more consistent rate. So, give him the best chance to succeed. And, assuming the Rangers aren’t breaking up the Artemi Panarin-Vincent Trocheck-Alexis Lafreniere line, that’s with 93 and 20. Start him on that line in training camp, see how they fare in practice and preseason games. Start the regular season that way. It’s an 82-game grind, so give him a trial run with Zibanejad and Kreider. If the chemistry and production aren’t there, then it’s back to the third line to play with Filip Chytil. You already know he’s a good third-line player. But give him one last chance to prove he can be a top-line wing.

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Dane : I see the appeal in giving Kakko one last chance to thrive on the top line, but the Rangers desperately need to fill this hole on the right wing. It was exposed, especially in the playoffs when teams like the Florida Panthers doubled up on the more dangerous options like Zibanejad and Kreider. With that in mind, I think Laviolette has to turn to Reilly Smith. He scored 40 points in 76 games last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, compared to Kakko’s 19 points in 61 games. Seeing as it was the only significant addition that Drury made this offseason, I get the feeling that he and Laviolette think Smith is their guy. He is a proven NHL veteran, a Stanley Cup winner, and is joining a talented group of Ranger players. Though he fizzled out on a weaker Penguins team, he thrived surrounded by better talent previously with the Vegas Golden Knights. I think he finds a similar role with the Rangers, and finally completes the missing piece of the puzzle with Zibanejad and Kreider. Combine that with the Panarin-Trocheck-Lafreniere line, and you have a solid top six. If it doesn’t work out down the line, maybe Kakko gets one last crack at it, but I think it is Smith’s spot to lose for the foreseeable future.

Jim : You and I certainly agree that it’s a priority for the Rangers to finally find a right wing to complete the top line with Zibanejad and Kreider. To be honest, that player may not be on the roster yet. I can certainly envision Drury trying to fill that hole for the fourth consecutive trade deadline as Rangers GM later this season. As for Smith, absolutely he was acquired as an affordable veteran option. But to me, he’s almost a safety net. Start with him on the third line, since he’s a solid, smart two-way player, likely best suited at this point of his career as a middle-six forward. Then if the Kakko experiment doesn’t work out — whether in camp or, say, 15 games into the season, swap them and move Smith on to the Zibanejad line. Smith is far from the long-term answer to this problem, but he could be a serviceable option, just not right away. It’s more important that Kakko, at worst, get the first look in training camp. Remember, it was just two seasons ago Kakko scored 18 goals (all at even strength) and had 40 points as a 22-year-old. You know what you have in Smith — which is a good player, not a great one. Let’s see first if Kakko can finally meet expectations before turning to the veteran.

Dane : All fair points here Jim, and, yes, I agree that the likely missing piece is probably not a Ranger at this point in time. It will come down to if Drury can make the right move before the trade deadline. However, until that happens, I don’t see Kakko as the first option. I think depending on how his training camp goes, even Brennan Othmann may be more inclined to get a look on the top line. It certainly creates a depth issue as I’m sure Laviolette does not want one of Kakko or Smith on the fourth line, but if Othmann is ready to make the leap to the NHL, I think the Rangers owe it to the team and to the fan base to give him a shot on that top line. I just feel that with the amount of chances Kakko has had to succeed there, he becomes the last option until Drury either exhausts all others or makes a trade. The fan in me will always hope that I’m wrong, and that Kakko will explode into the player he looked like in juniors, but the realist in me thinks he stays in a middle-six role this season.

Jim : Now, I am not opposed at all to giving Othmann a chance at winning a job this Fall. The 21-year-old scored 21 goals as a rookie pro with Hartford in the AHL last season and is going to be a huge part of the Rangers future, likely as soon as this season. If Othmann does earn a roster spot, it needs to be a top-nine role — he can’t be a fourth-line player, that does his development no good. He’d be better off playing top-line minutes in Hartford. My hunch is that Othmann needs to blow away the Rangers coaches and management in camp and preseason, which, to me, would mean winning the battle to play with Kreider and Zibanejad. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. But if he’s simply good, then starting the season in the minors is next best option for Othmann, considering the Rangers roster depth at the forward position. And if it’s Kakko or Smith, I restate my stance that Kakko should get first dibs to see if he’s a fit with 93 and 20 to start the season. But then it’s up to Kakko to earn the right to play in that role.

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