After winning the Calder Trophy last year, Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks has been struggling this season. His highly-touted scoring is down– he has just six goals in 30 games, and currently has a shooting percentage of just 8%. But what if he had another high draft pick to play with?
Kaapo Kakko, taken with the second overall pick in 2019, is on the trade block. The New York Rangers have lost nine of their last 12 games, and are desperate to change things up. Michael DeRosa of The Hockey News names Chicago as a potential landing spot.
Why it would work
Kakko was touted as an elite playmaker in pre-draft scouting. Connor Bedard’s shot was heralded as “soon to be one of the best in the NHL” before he came into the league. This seems like a match made in heaven, right?
With the Blackhawks still in the middle of a rebuild, expectations for Kakko’s production probably wouldn’t be super high at first.
Why it wouldn’t work
Chicago doesn’t need another under-producing winger. They gave Tyler Bertuzzi a four year, $5.5 million per deal in Free Agency, and he has just 13 points in 30 games. They signed Teuvo Teräväinen for three years at $5.4 million per, and he also has just 13 points in 30 games. And Ilya Mikheyev, making $4.75 million, has six points in 28 games.
On top of that, Chicago is another Original Six team. Their expectations post-rebuild will be sky-high. Kakko might need a low-pressure environment as he works to find his game.
What he would cost
Maybe a second or third-round draft pick. If the Rangers are dead set on getting a roster player back in addition to the pick, someone like Craig Smith might make some sense. Smith makes just $1 million and is on an expiring contract. He’s 35, and has 10 points in 26 games.
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