Future Watch: Kaapo Kakko Rookie Hockey Cards, Rangers – Kaapo Kakko was drafted second overall by the New York Rangers in the 2019 NHL Draft. There was a lot of talk that he could potentially go first overall but when that didn’t happen New York Rangers fans were more than happy with this selection.
The Finnish forward made his name playing for TPS in Liiga. He had a breakthrough season in 2018-19. At that time, he had 22 goals and 38 points in 45 games. He added four goals and five points in five playoff games. During that season he starred for Team Finland at the 2019 U20 World Junior Championship. He had five points in seven games taking home a gold medal with the game-winning goal. He also won the Rookie of the Year Award in Liiga. It was a good year and that continued up until the draft.
Post-draft he got used to New York City and made the Rangers out of camp. At 6-3, 199 pounds, he already had a pro body and decent speed. He looked good in preseason, so everything was in place for him.
Collectors can get his 2019-20 Upper Deck Young Guns canvas rookie card in Series 1. You can also find his rookie cards in Trilogy, Prizm and Parkhurst to name a few.
The NHL has been a learning experience for Kakko. He was used to playing on a bigger ice surface and that takes some getting used to, especially for an 18-year-old winger. In his first 44 games, he has seven goals and nine assists.
Here’s a look at his first NHL goal:
Future Watch: Kaapo Kakko Rookie Hockey Cards, Rangers – Stats
| Scoring | Goals | Assists | Shots | Ice Time | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Age | Tm | Lg | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | EV | PP | SH | GW | EV | PP | SH | S | S% | TSA | TOI | ATOI | FOW | FOL | FO% | BLK | HIT | TK | GV | Awards |
| 2019-20 | 18 | NYR | NHL | 44 | 7 | 9 | 16 | -17 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 70 | 10.0 | 130 | 664 | 15:05 | 2 | 4 | 33.3 | 10 | 15 | 26 | 16 | |
| Career | 1 yr | NHL | 44 | 7 | 9 | 16 | -17 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 70 | 10.0 | 130 | 664 | 15:05 | 2 | 4 | 33.3 | 10 | 15 | 26 | 16 | ||
Future Watch: Kaapo Kakko Rookie Hockey Cards, Rangers – More Resources
- NHL.com Player Profile – Kaapo Kakko
- Kaapo Kakko – Secondary Market Pricing
- Follow Kaapo Kakko on Instagram @kaapokakko
Future Watch: Kaapo Kakko Rookie Hockey Cards, Rangers – Image Gallery
Check out more Future Watch profiles featuring 2019-20 NHL Rookies below:
- Tobias Bjornfot, Kings
- Connor Clifton, Bruins
- Joel Farabee, Flyers
- Adam Fox, Rangers
- Cody Glass, Golden Knights
- Nikita Gusev, Devils
- Libor Hajek, Rangers
- Barrett Hayton, Coyotes
- Ville Heinola, Jets
- Quinn Hughes, Canucks
- Max Jones, Ducks
- Karson Kuhlman, Bruins
- Ryan Lindgren, Rangers
- Ilya Mikheyev, Maple Leafs
- Philippe Myers, Flyers
- Victor Olofsson, Sabres
- Cayden Primeau, Canadiens
- Alexandre Texier, Blue Jackets
- Conor Timmins, Avalanche
For more from Russ Cohen, follow him on Twitter @sportsology.
Russ Cohen
is the author of several top-selling sports related books.
Baseball’s Best Rookies
Numbers Don’t Lie: Mets: The Biggest Numbers in Mets History
100 Ranger Greats: Superstars, Unsung Heroes and Colorful Characters
100 Things Rangers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die
“Strike Three!” – A Player’s Journey through the Infamous Baseball Strike of 1994
The Winter Classic: The NHL’s Savior
The Philadelphia Flyers: Images of Sports
Pioneers of Baseball
- NHL Future Watch: Sean Farrell Hockey Cards, Montreal Canadiens - April 23, 2024
- MLB Future Watch: Zach Neto Baseball Cards, LA Angels - April 19, 2024
- NFL Future Watch: Demario Douglas Football Cards, New England Patriots - April 18, 2024