New York Rangers: Kaapo Kakko returns to practice

Kaapo Kakko may still be on the IR, but the 20-year-old winger participated in practice with the Rangers on Thursday. He sustained an upper-body injury in last Saturday’s tilt against the Montreal Canadiens. He was injured after having a very physical shift with Canadiens defenseman Alexander Romanov. However, due to the fact that he’s already back practicing, it’s safe to say that we will see him in games shortly.

Although Kakko was back at practice, he will not be participating in tonight’s contest against the Nashville Predators. He has not been on the IR for the mandatory seven days yet, but he would be eligible to return for next Monday’s game against the Calgary Flames. If he continues to practice with the team and make progress, it would not be surprising to see him return then.

It will be very good for the Rangers when Kakko feels ready to go. Although he was held off the scoresheet in his first three games of the season, he did have some strong chances. It’s always difficult when a player in the top-six is out of the lineup, as it requires a team to mix-and-match their lines. However, the Rangers defeated a very strong Toronto Maple Leafs team in overtime by a 2-1 final score in their first game without Kakko. We will have to see how they do without him tonight against the Predators.

There’s no denying that this is a big year for Kakko, too. The 2019 second overall pick is aiming to have that big breakout campaign and inch closer to reaching his full potential. He also will be placed in a wonderful position to do so, as at this juncture, he is expected to continue playing with Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome once he is healed. Strome is also on the COVID-19 protocol list as well, so he will need to get healthy first, too.

During the 2020-21 season, Kakko scored nine goals and recorded 17 points. This was after a 23-pont campaign in 66 games as a rookie. With a big role this season, it’s fair to expect more from him. Thus, there’s a strong degree of importance for him to get healthy. Ranger fans want to see what the 20-year-old kid can do this go-around. He’s also in the final year of his entry-level contract, so a strong season would lead to a nicer second contract for him.

Alas, it’s good to see Kakko seems to be heading in the right direction. Once he’s back with the team, they should look even better.