Rangers Trade Pitch Acquires $5.5 Million Winger For Former 2nd-Overall Pick

Former second-overall pick Kaapo Kakko of the New York Rangers has been the subject of trade rumors, and one trade pitch has him being dealt to the Calgary Flames.

Kakko did sign an extension with the Rangers this offseason but still has been part of trade rumors even after that. Website PuckPedia has a new tool called PuckGM that lets users create their own trades, and one user proposed a deal that sees Kakko get traded to the Flames in a multi-player deal.

Rangers get:

• Andrei Kuzmenko ($2.8 million retained)

Flames get:

• Kaapo Kakko
• Bryce McConnell-Barker
• 2025 fifth-round pick (Minnesota’s)

The proposed trade would give the Rangers a better offensive player in Kuzmenko who is entering the final year of his deal. The forward played for the Flames and Vancouver Canucks last season recording 22 goals and 24 assists for 46 points in 72 games.

Calgary, meanwhile, would get two players and a draft pick to help their rebuild. Kakko is a former second-overall pick who hasn’t lived up to the hype in New York. Kakko would seemingly get a bigger role with the Flames.

Bryce McConnell-Barker, meanwhile, was selected by the Rangers in the third round of the 2022 NHL draft. He recorded 22 goals and 29 assists for 51 points in the OHL last season and will be playing in the AHL in the 2024-25 season.

Along with the two prospects, New York would throw in a fifth-round pick, which the Rangers acquired from the Minnesota Wild which they acquired in the Ryan Reaves deal in November of 2022.

Kakko Eyes Bigger Role With Rangers

Kakko was a pending restricted free agent this summer and the former second-overall pick signed a one-year, $2.4 million extension.

Kakko skated in just 61 games recording 13 goals and 6 assists for 19 points. In the playoffs, he added 1 goal and 1 assists for 2 points in 15 games.

After the Rangers were eliminated in the Stanley Cup playoffs, Kakko said he wanted to have a bigger role with New York and play every game.

“Playoffs was different,” Kakko said, via NHL.com. “Of course, everyone wants to play. … I was not happy I [was] not in the lineup, but I still wanted to win. I was hoping the win for the team and keep going and then get back to the lineup at some point, but I can say I was not happy and I think all the guys in this room, like everyone wants to play.”

Kakko is projected to be New York’s third-line right winger playing with Flip Chytil and Will Cuylle, according to DailyFaceoff.com.

New York Hasn’t Been Thrilled With Trade Offers for Kakko

Although Kakko did sign an extension with the Rangers, he still has been the subject of trade rumors.

However, according to NHL insider Vincent Mercogliano of USA Today, the Rangers haven’t been thrilled with the trade offers for the former second-overall pick.

“Even more ice time could be available if Kakko is ultimately traded, but one source indicated the Blueshirts weren’t thrilled with the offers that came in around the draft,” Mercogliano wrote. “Teams were trying to buy low on the former No. 2 overall pick, with Drury rightly holding off unless someone ups the ante.”

Kakko has skated in 300 NHL games recording 57 goals and 60 assists for 117 points.