Rangers may be without star rookie Kaapo Kakko when play resumes

Don’t look now but the New York Rangers are a playoff team. Well… kinda.

The Rangers, of course, are one of the 16 teams taking part in the NHL’s “play-in” round facing off against the Carolina Hurricanes. While many are predicting an easy series victory for the Hurricanes, don’t be surprised if the Rangers make things difficult. The Rangers boast one of the most potent offence’s in the NHL with legit snipers like Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Kaapo Kakko, Pavel Buchnevich and Chris Kreider.

But, team president John Davidson admits that the team may have to go without star rookie Kaapo Kakko when play resumes. Why? Because Kakko suffers from Type 1 diabetes, he’s deemed more at risk when it comes to COVID-19.

Check it out:

Honestly… I had completely forgotten that Kakko is diabetic. In that case, this makes total sense. Unfortunately for the Rangers, removing Kakko from their lineup puts them at a serious disadvantage. While the kid didn’t light the NHL on fire during his rookie season, he really started to stand out in the latter half of the season and has that “extra gear” that’s often needed come playoff time.

I mean… who can forget:

It’ll be interesting to see how the Montreal Canadiens handle Max Domi, another Type 1 diabetic.