Former First-round pick emerges as a top trade candidate for the Bruins
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Could former 1st round pick of the New Rangers Kaapo Kakko help solve the Boston Bruins' offensive woes?
The Bruins are 5-2-0 since firing Jim Montgomery and hiring Joe Sacco as the interim coach of the team. They will still need help up front and Kaapo Kakko is a third-line winger for the Rangers who could push the Bruins into contender status once again.
While Bruins fans may be hoping for Chris Kreider to be an option as a trade piece for the team, Kakko may be available and an affordable option for Don Sweeney.
The Bruins currently sit third in the Atlantic Division but have played four more games than the Tampa Bay Lightning, who trail them in the standings. Despite their rocky start, they're just three points behind first-place Toronto Maple Leafs and have started showing signs of improvement. However, their minus-15 goal differential and .537 points percentage remain glaring concerns compared to the Florida Panthers' .615 and the Maple Leafs' .667.
Kaako was the 2nd overall pick in 2019, behind Jack Hughes but has failed to live up to expectations as a first-round draft pick. Despite being a highly-touted prospect he's only recently begun to find his game in the NHL as 2022-2023 saw him score 40 points( 18 G, 22 A) and has developed into a solid two-way forward.
Kakko has established himself as a defense-first player, and a very effective one at that. When he's on the ice, the Rangers have a net 5% more effective defense structure. But it comes at the expense of a -11% impact on offense. In the right role, Kakko is a shutdown winger that can transition play up the ice.
Kaako still has plenty of offensive upside which the Rangers have yet to be able to tap into.
But the Bruins could be the team to give him a fresh start and continue his development in a top-nine role.
Kakko made a name for himself as a quick-thinking, cerebral prospect with excellent vision, puck skills, size and versatility. Scouts saw him as a multi-tooled winger with star potential.
It would be a mistake for Don Sweeney not to check into the New York Rangers' current situation who have been public about their readiness to make some deals.
Kaako would provide some meaningful depth, and replenish the Bruins depleted prospect pipeline which only consists of Georgii Merkulov, Fabian Lysell, and Matthew Poitras.
The young forward has scored 14 points( 4 G, 10 A) in 26 games played this year with a +10 rating on the ice.
Previously on Bruins Insider
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 9 | 79 ANSWERS Former First-round pick emerges as a top trade candidate for the Bruins Do you think GM Don Sweeney of the Boston Bruins should trade for forward Kaapo Kakko of the New York Rangers? | ||
| Yes | 33 | 41.8 % |
| No | 46 | 58.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
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