Kaapo Kakko skates with Rangers for first time since injury
Kaapo Kakko of the Rangers is helped off the ice after an injury during the second period against the Sabres at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 27. Credit: Jim McIsaac
GREENBURGH — Brennan Othmann, the rookie called up from AHL Hartford to make his NHL debut Thursday night at Madison Square Garden against Chicago, wasn’t the only new face on the ice at the Rangers’ morning skate at their practice facility.
Forward Kaapo Kakko, who has been out since suffering a significant lower-body injury in a game against Buffalo on Nov. 27, skated with the team for the first time since he suffered the injury. He wore a red no-contact jersey but looked fine in warmups, taking shots and doing conditioning work with seventh defenseman Zac Jones after the skate.
“It was nice to see Kaapo out there,’’ coach Peter Laviolette said. “The next step in the [injury rehabilitation] progression is to start skating with us, and he was at that point to join us. It’s great to have him out there. He looks good. He’s moving well. So that’s all positive stuff.’’
Kakko, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, suffered what appeared to be a serious injury to his left knee or ankle late in the second period of the Rangers’ 5-1 loss to Buffalo at the Garden when he got tangled up with Sabres defenseman Erik Johnson and fell awkwardly. He was helped off the ice and it looked as if he’d suffered a season-ending injury.
But the next day, the team said the injury was not as serious as feared and that Kakko would return this season. He began skating on his own about three weeks later.
While Laviolette did not reveal a timetable for when the 22-year-old Finn might be able to practice fully with the team — or when he might be ready to return to the lineup — the coach did say the team intends to bring Kakko on its trip to Montreal this weekend.
“When it comes to that, I think you look at the trips and see whether or not there are going to be opportunities to skate, and whether it’s more valuable to keep him here [in New York],’’ Laviolette said. “But I believe that’s the plan.’’
The Rangers are scheduled to fly to Montreal on Friday for their game Saturday night against the Canadiens.
Shesterkin an All-Star
Goaltender Igor Shesterkin was selected Thursday as the Rangers’ representative to the NHL All-Star Game. It is the second straight year Shesterkin has been chosen to play in the game. The league, which requires that each team be represented in the game, named the first 32 participants, one from each team. Shesterkin, who is 16-8 after Thursday night's 4-1 win over Chicago, carried a 2.83 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage into the game. He was the only goalie selected in the Eastern Conference . . . Artemi Panarin, who leads the Rangers in goals (24) and points (53), posted a video on the Rangers’ X (formerly Twitter) page explaining that he won’t be able to go to the All-Star Game because his wife is expecting the couple’s second child.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
