Kaapo Kahkonen Eyeing International Options For Next Season

Aside from serving as a backup in Montreal for one game this season, goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen has been exclusively in the minors with AHL Laval.  It was similar in 2024-25 as despite multiple waiver claims, he only got into two NHL contests with the rest coming in the minors.

With it becoming clearer that he is viewed as more of a third-string option around the NHL instead of a possible backup, it appears that Kahkonen is exploring other options for next season.  Expressen’s Johan Svensson and Mattias Persson report (subscription link) that Kahkonen intends to play overseas next season and is eyeing a spot in either Sweden’s SHL or Switzerland’s NL.

A fourth-round pick by Minnesota back in 2014, Kahkonen was, for a time, viewed as a possible goalie of the future for them.  San Jose felt the same way, acquiring him in 2022 for Jacob Middleton in the hopes that a change of scenery could get him going and stabilize their goaltending situation at the same time.

That didn’t happen and it would be fair to say that Kahkonen has had a bit of a nomadic journey since then.  In less than two years, the 29-year-old has spent time with San Jose, New Jersey, Winnipeg, Colorado, Florida (AHL only), and now Montreal after the Canadiens signed him to a one-year, one-way deal worth $1.15MM on the opening day of free agency.

For his career, Kahkonen has played in 140 games at the NHL level, posting a 3.34 GAA along with a .898 SV%, numbers that played a big role in his bouncing around as of late.  He’s been considerably better than that in the minors this season, putting up a 2.67 GAA with a .905 SV% in 20 games in Laval.

Rather than test the market to see if another opportunity to be a well-paid number three option materializes next season, it looks as if Kahkonen will look to play closer to home instead.  He’ll likely have to take a pay cut to do so, however, as seven-figure contracts for players are few and far between in other leagues.  But if riding around in the minors isn’t something he wants to do moving forward, heading back overseas is the logical next step for Kahkonen.