Despite a relatively quiet start to free agency, the New York Rangers could still be looking for reinforcements this summer. The team traded for winger Reilly Smith earlier this offseason, but they have been unable to sell away some of the players they had hoped to move this summer.
Former No. 2 overall draft pick Kaapo Kakko is one of the Blueshirts available for trade. The Rangers allegedly held multiple trade conversations centered on Kakko at the start of the offseason, but were ultimately unable to reach an agreement. A recent hypothetical transaction, however, shows the Rangers ultimately trading Kakko for a bright young winger to boost the team’s offensive firepower.
Rangers mock trade sends Kaapo Kakko to the Flames in exchange for Andrei Kuzmenko
While using PuckPedia’s new PuckGM tool to arrange a mock trade, one user created a deal in which the Rangers would get Andrei Kuzmenko from the Calgary Flames in return for Kakko (h/t Heavy.com):
Rangers receive:
Andrei Kuzmenko ($2.8 million retained)
Flames receive:
Kaapo Kakko
Bryce McConnell-Barker
2025 fifth-round pick (Minnesota’s)
Moving Kakko has clearly been a goal for the Blueshirts this summer. However, sending Bryce McConnell-Barker away would be an unexpected move. McConnell-Barker is the Rangers’ top center prospect, ready for his first full season in the AHL. The 20-year-old forward was selected in the third round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and has spent the previous two seasons with the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds. McConnell-Barker scored 77 points in 68 games in 2022-23 and a respectable 51 in 52 games in 2023-24.
What would Andrei Kuzmenko bring to the Rangers?
Kuzmenko, a 28-year-old 5-foot-11 winger, was traded midseason and spent the 2023-24 season with the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames. He finished with 46 points (22 goals and 24 assists) in 72 games, a significant decline from his 74 points (39 goals and 35 assists) in 81 games in 2022-23.
If they traded for him, the Rangers would want to see Kuzmenko return to his previous level of production. A forward who can score more than 70 points in the regular season would fit perfectly into a Blueshirts top-six that has lost its luster halfway into the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Kuzmenko is entering the final year of his contract and could end up being a one-year rental if a deal is reached. However, the Rangers are hoping that Kuzmenko’s abilities can help them maximize the potential of their top six as a possible first-line skater with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad.
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