Igor Shesterkin has full faith that Kaapo Kakko can still emerge as an impact player for the Rangers.
While some fans are losing faith in Kaapo Kakko, players on the New York Rangers still believe in the young forward.
Since being drafted with the second overall pick by the Rangers in 2019, there has been a ton of pressure on Kakko to transform into a star-caliber player.
Unfortunately five years into his career, this hasn’t quite happened yet and time seems to be running out for Kakko to prove himself in New York.
There were rumors this summer that the Rangers would possibly move on from Kakko, but instead he signed a one-year $2.4 million deal to stay in The Big Apple.
Igor Shesterkin believes that Kakko still is a player that can make a tremendous impact for the Rangers.
“You never know what will happen,” Shesterkin said. “What if suddenly a young player will start to shine? Anything is possible. Kaapo Kakko, for example. I am more than sure that this will happen because I see how he’s practicing, how he’s playing, what kind of personality he has. He just needs the coaches’ trust.”
For a young player that is struggling with confidence and has a microscope watching his every move on the ice, it’s important for teammates to have his back and support him, which is exactly what Shesterkin is doing.
If Kakko is going to succeed, there needs to be a sense of trust from both the organization as a whole and all the players.
This season may be the 23-year-old’s last chance to prove he is worthy of a long-term contract to the Rangers, so it will arguably be his most important year of his career thus far.
Kakko will have to go out and earn it and with the endorsement from Shesterkin, anything is possible.
