Since he was drafted 2nd overall in 2019, Kaapo Kakko has been a divisive figure for Ranger fans. Some adore the Finnish wunderkind; others want to see him moved out the door because he is too soft. While I think it is fair to say that Kakko has not lived up to the hype of the player that was supposed to challenge Jack Hughes for the spot of the first overall pick, he’s not a minor leaguer, as some Ranger fans like to insist.
It’s been modest progress for the Finnish right winger. Due to some circumstances beyond his control, like the world shutting down, his development at the NHL level is behind where we, as fans, would probably like it to be.