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"Looking to take a big swing at something" - Elliotte Friedman claims Rangers looking to 'reset' side with Kaapo Kakko trade
The New York Rangers finally put an end to their partnership with Kaapo Kakko this week. After rumors and disgruntled comments from the player, the Rangers traded him for a player and a couple of draft picks.
Hockey insider Elliotte Friedman believes this wasn't necessarily a sign of an incoming tank but that general manager Chris Drury may be trying to turn the team around and revitalize it.
Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast (7:40 onwards):
"I think overall, they're looking to take a big swing at something, a very big swing at something. And you know, one of the things that's happened here shocking is that it is, it looks like it's almost impossible for them to get into the playoffs through their division."
The NHL analyst said he's hesitant to say that the Rangers are out of it already, citing the conversation happening around the Cleveland baseball team in the movie Major League. He doesn't want to "look stupid for proclaiming them done."
He went on:
"I think Chris Drury, when he made the trade involving Kakko, it sounds like he's trying to reset them a bit. Let's get our focus back on. Let's get going."
Kakko was traded to the Seattle Kraken. The Rangers, aside from the picks in the draft, added Will Borgen to their roster.
Kaapo Kakko doesn't believe negative comments were his undoing
Before being traded, Kaapo Kakko made public, negative comments about being a healthy scratch. He was unhappy with the decision, and he did not shy away from saying so.
An NHL reporter refuted that that was the catalyst for the trade, and Kakko himself doesn't think it landed him with the Kraken. Via the New York Post, he said:
“I don’t think it’s because of that. The team was playing not well enough. A lot of good players over there. Need to do something over there. I was kind of [thinking] something is going to happen, and then I knew also it might be me. Kind of was waiting. Something is going to happen."
He said he was "frustrated" when he made those comments and acknowledged that it's a hard decision to decide which players don't play on a given night, but that he wants to play.
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