Surprising news out of New York as NHL Insider reports that Kaapo Kakko will be a healthy scratch against the St. Louis Blues. With the New York Rangers open for business, is Kakko the next player to be traded?

The New York Rangers need all the help they can get on the ice, and today they bench it. Kaapo Kakko has had a great season so far, thriving as a third-line forward with linemates Will Cuylle, and Filip Chytil.

He was announced as a healthy scratch by NHL Network’s Mollie Walker, who covers the Blueshirts.

Kakko has played 29 games for the Rangers this season and scored 14 points( 4 G, 10 A). Could this be GM Chris Drury reaching his limit with the former 2019 1st-round pick?

Kakko’s contract would be easily moveable with a $2.4 Million cap hit. He could be a great option for a contender’s top-nine, or a rebuilding team’s forward core.

He’s averaged just 13:22 of ice-time per game and has been used sparingly as a depth option on the power play.

 

Teams who could benefit from Kakko’s presence could range from the Montreal Canadiens, Columbus Blue Jackets, Calgary Flames, and Chicago Blackhawks.

GM Chris Drury has worked on regaining flexibility with his salary cap space, as the team has $6.6 Million available. This was after placing Jacob Trouba on the trade-block, and shipping him to Anaheim despite his best wishes.

If the Rangers lose tonight against the St. Louis Blues could we see Drury keep moving pieces in and out of the lineup?

Is this the Rangers moving on from the youth movement? Or is Drury showcasing his pieces in order to get high-value veterans from other NHL teams?

The move is a head-scratcher, as Kaako is defensively responsible and has grown into a two-way player. A trait coaches generally love in the NHL.

So, we’ll have to wait and see where the Rangers go with Kakko, or if this is Laviolette mistakenly scratching the wrong player.