Kakko working to become 'better player' amid changes with Rangers

TAMPERE, Finland -- Kaapo Kakko doesn't expect to have a big voice in the upcoming changes that face the New York Rangers this offseason.

But he's not about to wait for a new coach to better his position, either.

Instead, Kakko, who had an NHL career-high 40 points (18 goals, 22 assists) this season, is focused on the immediate improvements he can make within his own game in an expanded role with Finland at the 2023 IIHF World Championship.

"I have no idea what's going to happen," Kakko told NHL.com. "I'm not the first guy they're going to ask about what'll happen. We'll see. We all know there's going to be a new coach next year. We'll see who's going to be that guy.

"Over here is a good chance for me to play a little bit more, become a better player, and help the team. I've been using things I learned before I got here, try to do those things and use this over there (in New York) next season."

Kakko will play for a third coach in five seasons when the Rangers announce a replacement for Gerard Gallant. New York mutually parted ways with Gallant after two seasons May 6, less than a week after it was eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the New Jersey Devils in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference First Round.

Though the early exit has fueled uncertainty in New York, it's given Kakko an opportunity to continue playing -- and developing -- on the world stage.

"Of course, it wasn't fun," said Kakko, the No. 2 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. "I was ready to play way longer than we did. I think we had a great team. I didn't expect at all to come here. But when I got the chance of course I wanted to go. It wasn't fun, but right now I'm happy to be here.

"I have a second chance to win something this year."

A gentle nudge from Finland teammate and Colorado Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen prompted the 22-year-old to participate in the tournament and potentially turn a disappointing end into a golden finish.

"We're good friends off the ice," Rantanen said. "I watched their Game 7 go down. Obviously, I was hoping they'd win ... all the best for the Finnish guys to do well. Then I called him the next day and asked if he'd want to go play, and here we are."

The invite was warranted with the improvements Kakko has already made in his game.

"He's been growing a lot," Rantanen said. "I think off the ice he might be the same guy still, funny guy, but on the ice you can tell he's more mature. Still a really good player. His best years are ahead. He's only what, 22 years old, this year? He's very young. His best years are ahead."

At the World Championship, he's getting an opportunity difficult to come by in New York.

Though Kakko averaged 15:18 in ice time with the Rangers, that average dropped nearly two minutes per game after they acquired forwards Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks and Vladimir Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues before the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline on March 3.

Kakko, however, is back up to his usual workload at the World Championship, sprinkling in some bonus assignments in key situations.

He has responded accordingly with four points (one goal, three assists) in six games, tied for fourth on Finland.

"Over here I feel like I'm getting power-play time, more ice time than I got over there," Kakko said. "I understand that though, especially late in the season we added some guys and we had a great team and some guys can't play that much."

The reduced role came with Kakko feeling the best he has in the NHL, something he described as a steady trajectory year-over-year despite being limited to 43 games because of injury in 2021-22.

"I feel I've been better and better every year since I got to the NHL," he said. "This year I played all the games, all 82 games. That was the first thing I wanted to do because last year I missed some games."

Add in seven from the playoffs and six, so far, at the World Championship, and Kakko has a near-full slate in a key development year.

He also has a shot at winning more gold too.

Kakko helped Finland win gold as an 18-year-old in 2019. He can help them repeat after Finland finished first at the World Championship last year, months after they won gold at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

"It's been a lot of gold medals for Finland," Kakko said. "I think that's the only thing that we want to see and want to win."

And this year there's a chance to win gold at home.

"I feel like you can't get too many chances to do that, to play over here (in Finland)," Kakko said. "Maybe it'll be the first and last time in my career I can do that. Of course, I wanted to go."