Kaapo Kakko chasing on his beautiful spear

The least we can say is that Kaapo Kakko likes himself with the Seattle Kraken. The Finn continued his excellent streak by adding another point to his record in tonight’s game against the Winnipeg Jets.

Since December 30, and including tonight’s game, Kakko has amassed 9 points in 9 games. His first games with the Kraken were a little less productive, but an adaptation period was necessary and normal. Traded on December 18 for defenseman Will Borgen as well as 3rd and 6th round picks, the second overall pick in the 2019 draft appears to have been released since his departure from New York. Stuck behind an array of offensive players at the Rangers, Kakko was not given a real opportunity to flourish or produce consistently in a role that suited his style of play.

While playing with the New York Rangers, Kaapo Kakko averaged just over 13 minutes per game on the ice this season. Since the start of January, his playing time has increased to around 17 minutes per game with Seattle, a significant increase that allows him to better exploit his talent within a unit with an offensive impact. This transition is reflected in his production: Kakko went from 0.46 points per game with the Rangers this season to 0.76 with the Kraken. For the past few games, he has been paired with Jaden Schwartz and Matty Beniers on the team’s first line, a combination that seems to be paying off. Their chemistry seems to be settling in well, as evidenced by the goal scored tonight.

With his 24th point of the season, Kakko would find himself tied for fifth in Rangers scoring, alongside Will Cuylle, and one point behind Alexis Lafrenière, both of whom have been struggling lately. This illustrates what could be another case of a talented player relaunching his career after leaving his initial team. Although the sample size is still too small to confirm that Kakko will finally become the dominant player we envisioned in 2019, his recent performances are encouraging. If he maintains this pace, he should surpass his career high of 40 points quite easily.