NHL News: Peter Laviolette's Rangers make final decision about the future of Kaapo Kakko

The last few days have seen a chaotic situation for the New York Rangers in the NHL season since Kaapo Kakko was dropped from the team by head coach Peter Laviolette. The situation, which came in the midst of the Rangers’ nosedive in the current campaign, has an end point.

The relationship between Laviolette and the rest of the staff seems to be hanging by a thread. However, the tension between the Rangers head coach and Kakko had already reached a point of no return. “I wasn’t the worst player, but that was me out of the lineup. I know as a coach you have to do something when you’re losing games, but I think it’s easy to pick a young guy and take him out,” the 23-year-old forward told the New York Post about his situation with the team.

“There were veteran players who were left out. The decisions I make are hard”, Laviolette had replied to Kakko’s strong words. In the midst of the Rangers‘ crisis, this conflict presented a logical solution for the player who was selected No. 2 by New York in 2019.

Rangers final decision on Kakko’s future

The final decision by head coach Peter Laviolette’s Rangers was to trade Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for defenseman Will Borgen and a third- and six-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. The relationship between the forward and the coach was broken, so a new destination was secured for him.

Head coach Peter Laviolette of the New York Rangers speaks with the media prior to the game against the Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden on November 30, 2024 in New York City.

Kakko comes to Seattle to take the place of forward Jordan Eberle, who was injured and underwent pelvic surgery on November 22 and will be out until the end of February. “He’s a big kid and he has some skill. So we thought it was the right decision. He’s a young, dynamic forward who brings skill and offensive ability to our club,” said Kraken General Manager Ron Francis.

see also

NHL News: Rangers coach Peter Laviolette issues bold statement to the team after loss to Predators

Kakko’s performance in the season

Kakko left the Rangers after his controversial exchange with Laviolette, leaving behind a campaign that included 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 30 games. Lately, he was overlooked in New York, although he averaged 13:17 minutes of ice time per game this season.