Mar 14, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Kraken right wing Kaapo Kakko (84) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Utah Hockey Club during the third period at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Kraken Forward Gets Brutal Injury Update

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Tyler Miller | Last updated Sep 28, 2025 9:00 AM ET

With the NHL preseason starting to wind down and the regular season approaching, the regulars are starting to play in preseason games more to tune up. But unfortunately for the Seattle Kraken, one of their main young forwards is not going to get the opportunity for said tune up.

They are going to be without promising young forward Kaapo Kakko for several weeks due to a major injury. It was reported recently by the Kraken Social Media team, that he is going to miss time with a broken hand. He got slashed in a preseason game against the Oilers and left the game and did not return.

An update on #SeaKraken forward Kaapo Kakko: pic.twitter.com/jVo5xTgwNb
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) September 27, 2025

Kraken fans were hoping for the best with Kakko, but this is super unfortunate. He is going to have to go through an extensive rehab process when he is able to start holding a stick and stick handling and skating again. Kakko came over from the New York Rangers in a trade last season and actually looked like he was getting somewhere.

Kakko was a former number 2 overall pick by the Rangers back in 2019 and played 330 games with the Rangers and scored 61 goals and tallied 70 assists. He was used to playing with the likes of Filip Chytil and Alexis Lafrieniere which the Rangers had deemed as "the kid line" in New York.

In 49 games with the Kraken last season after the trade, he tallied 10 goals and 20 assists. That stat line is actually pretty good for being traded mid-year and having to adjust to a new team. Kakko was somebody that needed a change of scenery because he was bumped up-and-down the lineup in New York and then eventually got benched.

When you are a former second overall pick in your draft year, there are seriously high expectations that come with that. And for Kakko, it did not seem to work out in New York, and seems to have worked out so far in Seattle. But the fact that he got injured in a game that did not matter, trying to get ready for the season, is a brutal blow for his team that will miss his presence for six weeks.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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