The Calgary Flames are in the midst of a rebuild, as they aim to get younger and more skilled before becoming a contender again. As part of this rebuild, GM Craig Conroy has been keen to target young skilled players who have the capacity to be part of this team’s future when they are ready to compete again.
It is no surprise that the New York Rangers’ forward Kaapo Kakko is currently on the Flames’ radar. Reports indicate that the Flames are in the conversation to acquire him along with the Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks.
Having just finished his fifth season in the NHL, the 2019 second overall pick has been a reliable bottom-six skater and definitely an NHLer, but has really not blossomed into the elite winger that he was projected to be at the draft. The hope is that with a change of scenery, he will finally become what he was expected to be.
Kaapo Kakko’s development hasn’t panned out
Rated as the top international skater going into the 2019 NHL Draft, the Rangers took him second, just behind Jack Hughes that season. Drafted as a quick-thinking winger, scouts raved about how hard he was to muscle off the puck as well as his really good reads of the game. Between great hands and high intelligence, he was expected to be an elite winger at the NHL level in a few seasons.
However, since making his NHL debut in October of 2019, he just hasn’t developed as expected. The forward has a career-high of 18 goals and 22 assists in the 2022–23 season but put up just 19 points in an injury-shortened 61 games this past year. He also has had opportunities to play in the team’s top-six, but has mostly settled into a third line role with the team.
The Rangers have recently signed him to a one-year $2.4 million contract, which feels very much like a last contract with the team. Six years is a long time to wait for a player to develop, and the Rangers seem just about done with him.
Kappo Kakko’s potential fit with the Calgary Flames
Unlike the Rangers, who are right in their Cup-winning window, the Flames are just starting a rebuild. They have the capacity to wait for him to develop, and with a weakened top-six, they have the capacity to give Kappo the bigger minutes that he will be craving. It’s a good opportunity for the Finnish forward to develop into the player he was expected to be.
However, for the Flames there may be a deeper motivation—to get Jonathan Huberdeau going. Huberdeau played his best hockey in Florida alongside gritty centreman Sam Bennett and scoring left-shot right winger Anthony Duclair. The Flames have a gritty centre in both Nazem Kadri and Connor Zary, and left-shot winger Kakko could be the piece on the right that Huberdeau needs to find his game again.
While the Flames did sign left-shot winger Anthony Mantha this summer on a one-year deal, if he doesn’t click with Huberdeau, they are stuck in the same position they were before. Further, the former Detroit Red Wings winger will be 30 as the season starts, and having a younger option alongside Huberdeau, who is signed for what feels like forever, would make much more sense.
Even if Kakko doesn’t work out for the Flames this season, the risks for the Flames are low, assuming of course that the Flames don’t send a lot to the Rangers to make this deal. There is even the option to move Kakko at the trade deadline if they are unhappy with his performance. A strong depth scorer with upside is something that contending teams will pay for as they push for the Stanley Cup.
What would it cost the Calgary Flames to acquire Kaapo Kakko?
This is the X-factor in all negotiations. The Rangers are likely looking for two things in a trade: an NHL-ready player and/or a high pick to try and recoup assets down the road. They also likely want salary relief, and to not take on a similar value contract for next season. For the Flames, giving up one of their two first-round picks feels like a lot for a high-risk winger like Kakko. Not only are there always wingers available on the open market, but for one that has a career-high of 40 points is simply not worth that price at all.
Even if the Flames think that Kakko could be a top line player in red next season, he has not shown that in his game at all to this point. If the Flames do give up a first-round pick—which they really shouldn’t—that should be all they move and it should be the latter of their picks in the first round.
The Flames also have a number of nearly NHL-ready prospects that could be included. The Rangers could use more strength at the bottom of their defence corps, and including a prospect like Yan Kuznetsov, Ilya Solovyov, or even a blue-chip prospect like Jeremie Poirier could be the piece the Flames need to make this deal happen.
If the Rangers do want a forward prospect, the Flames could move one of their tweener forwards like Adam Klapka, Walker Duehr, or Cole Schwindt. All three could be good depth pieces for the Rangers. The name to think about critically is Jakob Pelletier, who slipped down the depth chart last year before ending the season in the AHL last year. Is he in need of a change of scenery to reinvigorate his career? Drafted the same year as Kakko, Pelletier and a pick may be what the Flames need to make this deal work.
Does acquiring Kaapo Kakko make sense for the Calgary Flames?
Let’s be realistic. The Flames are at least three to five years away from being legitimate Cup contenders, and realistically, that is closer to five than to three years. This team is going to look very different at that point, and adding pieces that are young and with high upside is well worth it for the Flames.
Further, the two forwards that the Flames have under contract for the next five years are Nazem Kadri and Joanthan Huberdeau. The team needs to do what it can to get the pair motoring. Kadri had a great bounceback campaign alongside Connor Zary and Martin Pospisil last year, but Huberdeau’s production in the last two seasons combined still doesn’t match his production in his last season in Florida. Getting him back to being at minimum a 70-point player would be massive for the team.
Kakko would be a fit on both fronts. He could be the piece that helps reinvigorate Huberdeau, and at just 23 years old, he still has runway to develop into a strong offensive talent. If the cost is reasonable, something like a second-round pick and a near NHL-ready prospect, this is a reasonable gamble for the Flames.
