The Kraken have decided they’d rather avoid arbitration, and have opted to sign Kaapo Kakko for three years on a contract that gives him 4.5 million AAV per year!
Kaapo Kakko was picked up by the Kraken in 2024-25 off of a trade from the Rangers for Will Borgen; The Rangers after five years decided they’d had enough of trying to make him work in their chaotic, near constantly changing system, and Kakko seemed to find a particular groove with Seattle; finishing his first year in Deep Blue with 30 points in 49 games.
Kaapo has been slowly building himself back up from the pits of hell he previously was in with the New York Rangers analytically, and as such his projections are a little all over the place; but he’s unquestionably gotten a lot better in Pacific Time.
As for the term? It’s fine. That’s a reasonable bet on a player who managed to unlock some offense from Matty Beniers, and may yet have more to give in a full season away from the predations of the Rangers. We’ll see how he handles things come October.
Let’s all welcome Kaapo back to The Deep!