New York Rangers ink No. 2 overall NHL draft pick Kaapo Kakko to entry-level contract

Kaapo Kakko, the No. 2 overall selection in last month's NHL Draft, has officially agreed to contract terms with the New York Rangers, the team announced Thursday.

According the NHL's collective bargaining agreement, the length of an entry-level contract for a player between the ages of 18-21 is three years. Kakko is 18.

Capfriendly.com reported that the three-year deal is worth an average annual value of $3,575,000. The total salary per year is $925,000, which is the number that counts against the salary cap, plus Kakko can receive an additional $2,650,000 in bonuses each season.

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The highly-touted Finnish forward is expected to step right into the Rangers' lineup for the 2019-20 season.

"My next goal is playing in the NHL next season," Kakko said during Rangers' development camp in Stamford, Conn.

While playing for TPS in Finland's top professional league last season, Kakko scored more goals (22 in 45 games) than any 17-year-old in the history of Liiga. He's also had success in international play, becoming the youngest player in hockey history to win gold medals at the IIHF U-18 World Championships, the IIHF World Junior Championships and the IIHF World Championships.

Most recently, Kakko helped Finland win a gold medal at the IIHF Worlds in May, tallying seven points (six goals, one assist) and a plus-10 rating in 10 games.

"The sky’s the limit for this fella," team president John Davidson said at the NHL Draft in June. "His testing has been really good to this point. He’s a very exciting young man — and remember, he’s already played in men’s leagues. He’s got a good feel for what it’s all about. The NHL is a different animal, of course. It’s the biggest and best there is, so we’ll see. I just don’t want to get ahead of ourselves — but I’m very excited."

The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder was selected by the Rangers with the second overall pick on June 21 in Vancouver, right after the rival New Jersey Devils chose American forward Jack Hughes at No. 1.

Kakko returned to train in Finland for the summer following Rangers' development camp at the end of June.

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