The New York Rangers’ decision to bench forward Kaapo Kakko during Sunday’s 3–2 loss to the St. Louis Blues has sparked speculation about his future with the team. The move came at a pivotal time, as the Rangers were reeling from a loss to the Los Angeles Kings and had dropped nine of their previous 12 games. Unfortunately, the lineup change by head coach Peter Laviolette didn’t yield the desired results, with New York suffering its 10th defeat in 13 games, further damaging their playoff hopes.
Laviolette defended the decision as an effort to bring “fresh legs” into the lineup, dismissing any connection to potential trade talks. “We were putting fresh legs into the lineup tonight,” he explained postgame. “This was based on internal decisions we worked through during the day.”
Kakko, the second overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, has posted four goals and 10 assists in 29 games this season. While his offensive output has been modest, analysts like Vince Mercogliano of USA Today and Larry Brooks of the New York Post criticized the choice to scratch him. Mercogliano described it as “peculiar,” adding, “If you’re listing players who have underperformed recently, Kakko wouldn’t even be in the top six.” Brooks suggested the move might hint at a possible trade, writing, “Kakko out of the lineup without a clear explanation? Unless this is a prelude to a deal, it doesn’t make sense.”
With Sunday’s loss, the Rangers fell to a 15-14-1 record, sitting fifth in the Metropolitan Division with 31 points. Their upcoming schedule poses a significant challenge, as 11 of their next 13 opponents are currently in playoff positions.
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