Kakko looking forward to fresh start with Kraken

CHICAGO (AP) — Kaapo Kakko wants to focus on his opportunity with the Seattle Kraken. That rough finish with the New York Rangers is over.

The talented winger jumped right in on Thursday, joining Seattle for its morning skate ahead of his first game with the Kraken. He skated for more than 13 minutes in a 3-1 loss to Chicago in the opener of a four-game trip.

Kakko is hoping to provide an offensive lift for a Seattle team that has just two goals over its last three games.

“I think I’m good in the (offensive) zone, that’s my game over there,” Kakko said before the loss to the Blackhawks. “Make plays, try to expose them, score goals. But I think good in the (defensive) zone, also, a two-way player. That’s my game right now and I’ll try to bring it over here.”

The 23-year-old Kakko was traded to Seattle on Wednesday for defenseman Will Borgen, a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick. The 28-year-old Borgen had been with Seattle since its inaugural season, but the Kraken felt they had to take advantage of the chance to reel in Kakko for their roster.

“The opportunity to get a second-overall pick, a guy not as an 18-year-old, but as a guy who's grown into the player he's going to be, and it's a big, strong, powerful power forward, that's exciting to add to the group,” coach Dan Bylsma said.

The 6-foot-1 Kakko was selected by New York with the No. 2 pick in the 2019 draft. He helped the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference final last spring and signed a one-year contract in June as a restricted free agent, but he continued to be surrounded by persistent trade rumors.

Kakko was a healthy scratch for New York's game at St. Louis on Sunday. He said Tuesday he was surprised by coach Peter Laviolette’s decision, calling it “easy to take the young guy and put him out.”

By Wednesday night, Kakko was on a new team.

“I was frustrated. I think everyone who is not playing — everyone wants to play. That’s what I wanted, also,” he said.

“That doesn’t matter anymore. It’s a new team for me, I’m not thinking about it. A lot of good guys over there. New chance for me.”

New York has dropped 11 of 14 games going into Friday night's contest at Dallas, including five of seven since trading captain Jacob Trouba to Anaheim.

Kakko called the Rangers “a great organization,” and said the last month had been challenging for everyone with the team.

“You don’t have your captain anymore over there, he’s a good guy. Everyone liked him,” Kakko said. “So there were a lot of things going on. When you’re losing games, it’s never a good thing. You want to play, you want to win. So, that was kind of hard for everyone.”

Kakko has four goals and 10 assists in 31 games this season. He set career highs with 18 goals and 22 assists in 82 games during the 2022-23 season.

Seattle has been playing without captain Jordan Eberle since he had surgery on his pelvis last month, and Kakko could help make up for his absence.

“You’re always looking for bigger bodies that can get to the front," Kraken general manager Ron Francis said. "We think when you go back in his draft year, there’s a reason why the Rangers took him at 2. He was a real good player at that point, and for whatever reason it just hasn’t panned out for him.

“So we’re hoping the change of scenery and working with us that hopefully we can get a little bit more out of him.”

Kakko switched to No. 84 with Seattle because defenseman Jamie Oleksiak wears No. 24 for the Kraken. He has at least some familiarity with his new team, playing alongside Eeli Tolvanen when Finland won the 2019 world junior championship.

“He's a great player,” Tolvanen said. “He's a big body. He has really good hands. He uses his body well. He can score goals. I think he's going to be a big piece for us.”

___

AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno contributed.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl