Drafted second overall in 2019, Kakko has yet to meet the high expectations placed on him. Although he had the opportunity to play on the first line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, he failed to seize those chances to establish himself as a top-tier player.
At 23 years old, Kakko scored 13 goals and made six assists for a total of 19 points in 61 games during the 2023-2024 season, a decrease from his 40 points in 82 games the previous season.
