It may have been time for the New York Rangers and Kaapo Kakko to part ways, but that doesn’t mean the players weren’t upset to see him leave.
Some players expressed their emotions following the trade that sent Kakko to the Seattle Kraken, including Filip Chytil who played alongside Kakko for several years.
“When I heard that it was emotional because I spent so much time with him and we spent so much time playing together… he’s probably the guy I’ve played against the most in the last five years,” Chytil said, via Colin Stephenson of Newsday. “So it was tough.”
Filip Chytil on Kaapo Kakko today:
“When I heard that, it was emotional because I spent so much time with him and we played so much time together… he’s probably the guy I’ve played against the most in the last five years. So it has been tough.”— Colin Stephenson (@ColinSNewsday) December 19, 2024
Kakko has been through a lot during his six seasons with the Rangers.
Being selected by New York with the second overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, the weight of the world was on Kakko’s shoulders from the start, and when he failed to perform up to expectations, he faced a whirlwind of criticism.
Meanwhile, this all comes straight from Finland and is forced to adapt to a completely new culture, which was certainly not easy for the young attacker.
“You try to be there. You try to help him, but it’s hard because everyone is different. Everyone deals with it differently. I dealt with it one way because it’s my personality,” Mika Zibanejad said, via Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today. “All I can say is that it is not an easy situation, even though everyone tries to help you from day one. You try to feel comfortable, but it’s still not your first language.
“It’s sometimes difficult to express yourself, and it’s a completely different culture here than where we come from. It’s obviously an adjustment, but I thought he did a good job. Towards the end he came out of his shell a bit more. I have nothing but good things to say about him as a person and as a player. It’s sad, but I hope everything works out for him.”
Between all the pressure, lack of overall growth and a declining role, Kakko needed a fresh start and he expressed that during his introductory press conference with the Kraken.
“Fresh start. I feel like this is what I need right now,” Kakko said. “I enjoyed my time in New York… Many years there, great team, but I think I’m waiting for something more from myself. The team was also waiting, but it never went the way we wanted.”
The 23-year-old made his Kraken debut against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night, logging a total of 13:15 minutes.
