The Calgary Flames were one of the biggest surprises in the early parts of the season. They started the year by winning their first four games, and five of their first six. They’ve cooled down since, but still have a 15-11-5 record, and sit just a point out of the playoff picture.
The New York Rangers are trying to move a former second overall draft pick, and Michael DeRosa of The Hockey News lists Calgary as a potential landing spot.
Kaapo Kakko was taken with the second overall pick in 2019, but could become a trade casualty as the free-falling Rangers (3-9 in their last 12 games) look to shake up their roster and salvage their season.
Why it would work
Calgary has been good with reclamation projects in recent years. They turned former bottom-six forward Yegor Sharangovich into a thirty-goal scorer. Depth defenseman Kevin Bahl has matched his career high in points in just 31 games with the Flames this season. Daniil Miromanov– previously a fringe NHL defenseman– has become a stalwart on Calgary’s blueline.
With that track record, it’s definitely possible that Calgary could get more out of Kakko than the Rangers have. Kakko might thrive in a low-pressure environment, free of the expectations he had in New York.
Why it wouldn’t work
Well, Calgary doesn’t need any more middle-six forwards. Most of their roster consists of middle-six forwards. They don’t exactly have room for one more.
That’s really the only negative I can see. I can’t think of any other reason why Calgary shouldn’t buy low on Kakko.
What would he cost?
Probably not much. The Rangers would likely want a roster player back, but unless Kakko is part of a bigger trade, it’s not super likely. With 131 points in 329 career games and a career high of 40 points in one season, Kakko has failed to live up to his draft position so far. Thus, his value isn’t as high as New York would probably like it to be.
