Kaapo Kakko is locked in.
The Rangers agreed to terms on an entry-level contract for the No. 2-overall pick in June’s NHL draft, the team announced Thursday. The three-year deal carries a cap hit of $925,000 per year, the maximum allowable, in addition to entry-level bonuses. Kakko’s average annual salary, including bonuses, could be worth up to 3.575 million, per CapFriendly.com.
The 18-year-old Kakko is expected to join the Rangers lineup right away, coming off a year in which he led Finland to a gold medal in the World Juniors and also recorded 22 goals and 16 assists in 45 games with TPS of the Finnish Elite League.