Jeff Gorton now has the opportunity to acquire his former top pick

Now that the New York Rangers are out of the playoffs, many experts are wondering what the organization will do with young Kaapo Kakko.

The second overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft has not lived up to expectations so far and despite an interesting playoff run, he was left out of Gerard Gallant's Game 6 of the Eastern Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

A situation that is reminiscent of what happened last year with a certain Jesperi Kotkaniemi with the Habs and like the former number 15 of the CH, Kakko will also be a free agent with compensation this summer, as was the case with Kotkaniemi last year.

Is it possible that the Rangers forward could receive a hostile offer from another team during the off-season?


As Fanadiens.com's Alex Néron reports, that's a question Jimmy Murphy of Montreal Hockey Now wondered.

Since the Rangers have 11 players out of contract for the upcoming season, then it's a possibility that Kakko could receive a hostile offer. However, since he is only 21 years old, it would still be surprising if the Blue Shirts throw in the towel that early in his case.

But should he no longer be in the Rangers' plans, perhaps the man who drafted him in 2019, one Jeff Gorton, might be interested in his services again.

If that was your decision, would you sign Kakko to a hostile offer (at 4.2 million, Montreal wouldn't have to give away a first round pick and it would probably be expensive for the Rangers). They have many other players to sign and they are very tight.

As we said, depending on the amount, it's really not guaranteed that the Rangers would match the offer, as the Habs did with Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

Remember that Kakko, like Kotkaniemi, was left out by his team for the most important game of the season.

To be continued.