The excitement surrounding the selection of Kappo Kakko at the 2019 draft as part of the Rangers’ ongoing rebuild was seen by many as a watershed moment in franchise history, and understandably so. It was a moment, however, that didn’t last long enough for the slightest of reflections. Less than two weeks later, the Rangers signed Artemi Panarin.
Of course, nobody forgot about Kakko. He was the franchise’s biggest grand prize in decades. As for the rest of his fellow prospects from the Blueshirts’ 2019 draft class, however, the shot at a full-time NHL job is still two or three years away.