Minnesota Wild 2022 Player Report Card: Kaapo Kähkönen

The Minnesota Wild report cards are now down to the goaltenders. With Cam Talbot’s grade done, it’s time for the man who was the main backup until the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline. Kaapo Kähkönen may have been traded away, but he still made an impact on the team until he left. Many were surprised when he was traded, as he was seen as one of their goaltenders of the future and the eventual replacement for Talbot.

Unfortunately for Kähkönen, the trade wasn’t to a contending team, as the San Jose Sharks had a rough season, but he did get to play. However, he may be the odd man out because they currently have two goalies under contract, a veteran in James Reimer and an up-and-coming goaltender in Adin Hill. The main reason they brought in Kähkönen was that Hill was injured and missed the majority of the season with off-and-on appearances.

Kähkönen is a restricted free agent and the Sharks will have to decide what they want to do with him. If Hill continues to be bothered by these injuries, the Sharks may have to keep Kähkönen to ensure they have a backup that is capable of playing and has experience in the NHL.

Kahkonen’s Half & Half Season

Kähkönen spent three seasons with the Wild, two of those shortened due to COVID. In his first season, he only played in five games but he showed a lot of promise with a record of 3-1-1. That gave his coaches the confidence to give him more time the following season when he backed up Talbot and played in 24 games, finishing with a record of 16-8. That leaves this season, where he played 25 games with the Wild for a record of 12-8-3. He also had a save percentage (SV%) of .910 and a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.87.

It was a hard season for goals-against averages for all the Wild goalies but their win/loss record is what mattered. After Kähkönen went to the Sharks, his record faltered. He played in 11 games but his record was 2-6-1 for an overall record of 14-14-4. He did have a .912 SV%, but his GAA stayed the same at 2.87, something he can really work to improve on.

Kähkönen’s regular season started out decently and hit a bump when he was traded, but it takes time to get used to a new team, especially as a goalie, as he had to learn how his defense worked in front of him and other things that come with time. He’s still a young goalie and he has talent, so it’ll be interesting to see if he stays with the Sharks or if another team…