The hope when the Seattle Kraken acquired forward Kaapo Kakko from the New York Rangers was that the former second-overall pick could reignite his stale career.

Instant chemistry between Kaapo Kakko and Matty Beniers has generated some cautious optimism for the Kraken, with both enjoying productive stretches.

Kakko spent Christmas in Seattle at Tolvanen’s house, although the newly acquired winger fielded inquiries from several other Kraken players. The Finns last played together in 2019, so they had a lot to catch up on, sharing “dumb” summer stories and reflecting on their shared history.

“All the Finnish guys know each other, like, somehow,” Kakko said.

Kaapo Kakko scored twice in the third period, Joey Daccord made 33 saves and the Seattle Kraken overcame an early two-goal deficit to beat the Buffalo Sabres 6-2 on Saturday.

Kakko is also in the right spot. The Kraken have a younger team, which puts Kakko in a position to develop properly and learn from his mistakes. The weight of the world was on Kak

The metrics under the hood tell a curious story centered on one basic fact: Kakko and his linemates are on a shooting hot streak while Lafreniere and his linemates are in a shooting slump.

The New York Rangers traded Kakko to the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 18 and he has taken off ever since. In 10 games with the Kraken, the 23-year-old forward has recorded three goals, four assists and seven points. He is also averaging 15:59 minutes per game compared to his 13:17 minutes with the Rangers, which is a substantial increase.

Since being traded away by the New York Rangers, forward Kaapo Kakko has found a new home with the Seattle Kraken. Amid a hot streak, the 23-year-old Finn dropped a bold message, aiming at Peter Laviolette and his former team.

The Seattle Kraken took a chance by trading for 23-year-old Kaapo Kakko but the early returns show the move was worthwhile.

Rangers coach Peter Laviolette paired the two when Miller returned from an upper-body injury on Dec. 28. While they didn’t gel right from the jump, they’ve quickly built chemistry and have arguably become the Rangers’ best two-way defensive pairing.

With less than two months until the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline on March 7, the New York Rangers are likely looking to see more changes come soon. The Rangers were