Montreal Canadiens emerge as Frontrunners to acquire New York Rangers star

General manager Chris Drury had signed Kakko to a one-year extension worth $2.4 million. This extension was his qualifying offer which gives any team willing to trade for him cost certainty at least for one year.

Other players that have been mentioned to the Canadiens are Kent Johnson and Trevor Zegras. Both players would help the Canadiens, it appears according to Duhatschek that Kakko would be the easiest to obtain.

It would require the Canadians to pay a lower price to bring in the former second overall pick compared to Zegras who would require a package that would be significantly more expensive.

Many feel that Kakko needs a change of scenery and a different team with a different voice to tap into his hockey skills. During his tenure with the Rangers thus far he has yet to find a solid position in the Rangers top six.

This season, he played 61 games, scoring 13 goals with six assists for 19 points and was a + 6. This is a significant drop from his previous year of 82 games played and 40 points with a + 12.

With the Canadiens still rebuilding and preparing to take the next step and becoming competitive once again, a player like Kakko could be the project that Montreal general manager Kent Hughes may be willing to take a chance on.

Source: NHL Trade Rumors