This summer there was a message sent to Kaapo Kakko.
While he signed a one-year, $2.4 million dollar deal to stay with the Rangers, it’s clear that if he doesn't perform up to expectation this upcoming season, his time in New York will likely be numbered.
Even with all of this pressure on Kakko’s shoulders, he’s looked like an entirely different player through the start of training camp and the preseason.
The 22-year-old is playing a confident brand of hockey that has clearly been noticeable to all watching him.
Between his composure with the puck, using his body to create plays or his highly productive defensive play, Kakko is surprising people.
At the end of last season, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette took responsibility for Kakko’s lack of development and now he’s seeing improvement from the young forward.
“I thought his line (Thursday) was really good,” Laviolette said. “I thought the puck was on his stick quite a bit. To be able to have that balance and that depth somewhere in your top nine, wherever it pans out, can make it a really dangerous hockey team.”
Kakko has been paired with Filip Chytil and Will Cuylle on a line and they have all been effective alongside each other.
They possess their own receptive and unique skill sets that just correlate when combined together. Chytil and Cuylle are two players Kakko is comfortable playing with.
“I played with Will last year, also. I know what he can do out there, and I’ve been playing a lot with Fil,” Kakko said. “It’s a new season, and it’s still only a couple of practices together, but I feel we all know what we can do out there, and I think we can be a good line.”
The improvements in Kakko’s game may be obvious, but his mindset remains the same as he’s ready to tackle any challenge that is thrown at him.
“I feel I always come here ready to go and feel pretty good,” Kakko said. “The same thing: just try to be as good as I can and be my best. That’s all I can do.”
