Kraken re-sign Kaapo Kakko to three-year contract
The Seattle Kraken were able to avoid arbitration with a former prospect.
On Tuesday, general manager Jason Botterill announced that the team has re-signed forward Kaapo Kakko to a three-year contract. The deal carries an AAV of $4.525 million through the 2027-28 season.
“Re-sign Kakko!”
Kaap-y that 🫡
The #SeaKraken have agreed to terms with forward Kaapo Kakko to a 3-year deal → https://t.co/9ExeZuvrH8 pic.twitter.com/Vd79NC1JFz
The signing comes just hours after it was revealed that Kakko was one of seven players who had their arbitration hearing dates scheduled. Botterill admitted that getting a deal done with the Finnish winger was on the team’s to-do list.
“Getting a contract done with Kaapo was a top priority this summer,” Botterill said in a release. “We knew quickly he’d be a big part of our team moving forward. He’s got size, skill and tremendous playmaking ability, and isn’t afraid of going to the net. He fit in immediately with our group, and we’re thrilled to have him under contract.”
Kakko was coming off a one-year contract that he signed with the New York Rangers in June 2024, which had a cap hit of $2.4 million. The 24-year-old made his way to the Pacific Northwest when he was traded to the Kraken in December of this past season in exchange for Will Borgen and two draft picks.
After a sluggish start to the season in New York, Kakko started to build some confidence down the stretch with his new team. In 49 games with Seattle, he notched 10 goals and 20 assists for 30 points. It wasn’t enough to help the Kraken qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, as the team finished seventh in the Pacific Division.
In total, Kakko scored 14 goals and 30 assists for a career-high 44 points in 79 games.
Kakko had spent the first five-plus seasons of his NHL career with the Rangers, the team that selected him with the second overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, immediately after New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes. In 379 regular-season contests, he has scored 71 goals and 90 assists for 161 points, along with nine points in 44 postseason games.
According to CapWages, the Kraken have a little over $7 million in projected cap space for next season.