Kaapo Kakko should be back with Rangers for playoffs, Gerard Gallant says

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — That Kaapo Kakko will not be in uniform for Andrew Copp’s on-ice reunion with his former Winnipeg Jets teammates on Tuesday night at the Garden is the known known.

Exactly when the third-year left wing will return to the lineup is the known unknown.

But to hear coach Gerard Gallant, Kakko’s return from what the team termed a week-to-week injury should coincide with the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“I look at Kaapo being back next week,” Gallant said at the MSG Training Facility before practice Monday. “This isn’t a two-, three-, four-week injury. No. If he’s not ready for the first game of the playoffs, I’d be disappointed. Will he play a game before the playoffs start? I’m not sure about that. But I fully expect him to be back for the playoffs.”

Kakko, who did not participate in practice, suffered a right knee injury in the first period of Saturday’s 4-0 matinee win over the Red Wings after awkwardly falling to the ice in his fourth game back after missing almost two months with a wrist injury. He did not return to the game and finished with one hit in 5:06 of ice time spanning five shifts.

The timing of the injury could not have been worse for the second overall pick in the 2019 draft, who was coming off a two-goal performance against the Flyers in the previous game.

“Kaapo was playing real well,” Gallant said. “He got back from missing eight weeks and he had three or four games there, and his last game he had two goals and played really [well], so that [would be] definitely disappointing for him.”

When asked if he thinks Kakko is frustrated about being injured so soon after missing so much time, Gallant said, “I’m sure he is. I mean, I haven’t talked to him about it, but I’m sure . . . why wouldn’t you be? But you just got to move on, just got to focus on what you can do. Quick little rehab and get back at it.”

While the exact nature of Kakko’s injury is unclear, Gallant stressed that his team has been relatively healthy over the course of the 2021-22 campaign, outside of Sammy Blais’ season- ending torn ACL and Tyler Motte’s upper-body injury.

“We’ve been pretty fortunate with injuries this year compared to some of the other teams,” Gallant said. “You get a guy here, a guy there, beside Sammy Blais obviously and Kaapo for a while, but for the most part we’ve [been] fortunate. We’ve got a lot of guys around.”

Including Copp, who has been a revelation since being acquired from the Jets at the trade deadline. He’s recorded 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 13 games while skating on a line with Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome.

“Some early success gives us confidence,” Copp said. “It’s been good and I think that we’re continuing to grow, but there’s always room for improvement.”