Kaapo Kakko signed a one-year extension with the New York Rangers this offseason, but he remains a trade candidate. One trade pitch suggests a multi-player deal with the St. Louis Blues. PuckPedia’s PuckGM tool allows users to create their own trades, and one user proposed a deal that would send Kakko to the Blues.
Rangers get:
Oskar Sundqvist
Kasperi Kapanen
Matthew Kessel
2027 second-round pick
Blues get:
Kaapo Kakko
The trade is intriguing because the Blues receive the best NHL player in the transaction, while the Rangers gain three guys to round out their roster and add much-needed depth.
Sundqvist, 30, is a bottom-six forward. Last season, he appeared in 71 games for the Blues, scoring 6 goals and 15 assists for 21 points. Kapanen, meantime, is a former first-round choice of the Toronto Maple Leafs who has struggled to become a full-time NHL player. Finally, Kessel is a bit of a gamble because he is 24 and appeared in 39 NHL games last season, scoring one goal and six assists for seven points.
The Rangers’ return is primarily about adding forward depth to their squad while also receiving a second-round selection for Kakko, who is dissatisfied with his role.
Kakko, meanwhile, was picked second overall in 2019 and played 61 games last season, scoring 13 goals and 6 assists for 19 points.
Kakko Frustrated With Role With Rangers
Kakko, who was drafted second overall in 2019, has struggled to make an impact in the NHL. He was a healthy scratch during the regular season and playoffs last season. Despite this, he signed a one-year contract with the Rangers but expressed frustration with his role.
“Playoffs were different,” Kakko explained. “Obviously, everyone wants to play… I was not happy I [was] not in the lineup, but I still wanted to win. I was wanting to win for the squad, keep going, and eventually return to the lineup, but I can say I was disappointed, and I believe everyone in this room wants to play.”
Kakko has played in 300 NHL games, scoring 57 goals and 60 assists for 117 points.
Blues Add 2 Young Players From Offer Sheets
St. Louis signed defenseman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway to offer sheets, which the Edmonton Oilers ultimately chose not to match.
“I’ve seen what people are saying — if there’s a GM code against offer sheets, nobody sent it to me,” Blues GM Doug Armstrong remarked during a press conference. “This is a tool that I believe everyone uses, and should use. It was mentioned that I wouldn’t have done this to (former Oilers GM) Kenny Holland — that’s completely untrue. Honestly, I’d do it to my mother if she was managing the Oilers.”
Broberg, drafted eighth overall by the Oilers in 2019, has appeared in 81 NHL regular-season games, tallying 2 goals and 11 assists for 13 points. Holloway, selected 14th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, has played in 89 games, recording 9 goals and 9 assists for 18 points.
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