Kaapo Kakko is gearing up to make his season debut for the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night against the New York Rangers.
During a preseason game, Kakko broke his hand and has missed the entirety of the season thus far.
Now, he’s expected to make his return against his former team.
Kakko’s history with the Rangers is complicated. He was selected with the second overall pick by the Blueshirts in the 2019 NHL Draft.
While Kakko was expected to be one of the pillars of the Rangers’ franchise, he struggled to live up to that potential through his years in New York, and ultimately didn’t blossom into the player everyone thought he would become.
His tenure with the Rangers was filled with highs and lows. It became clear at some point that Kakko needed a fresh start.
Kakko was traded to the Kraken last December, shortly after he expressed his frustration at being scratched from the Rangers’ lineup, which was not the first time this had happened.
Upon arriving in Seattle, the 24-year-old forward immediately began to thrive. He recorded 10 goals, 20 assists, and 30 points in 49 games while averaging 17:03 minutes.
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Kraken head coach Lane Lambert said that Kakko would be a game-time decision for Saturday night’s contest, but all indications point toward him making a return, as he practiced on a line with Mason Marchment and Shane Wright, on top of also taking reps on the team’s first power-play reps.
“[He just has] a lot of skill, a lot of offensive talent, with the way he plays with the puck, and [the way] he’s making plays," Wright said. "He’s a really talented offensive guy and really good to have back in the lineup.”