Kaapo Kahkonen’s NHL journey has been anything but straightforward, and now, it looks like the 29-year-old netminder is ready to take a different path - one that leads back to Europe.
After spending the bulk of this season in the AHL with Laval, aside from a brief stint backing up in Montreal, Kahkonen appears to be weighing his options beyond North America. According to reports out of Sweden, the Finnish goaltender is eyeing a return overseas next season, with interest in playing in either the SHL or Switzerland’s National League.
It’s a move that makes sense given how the past couple of seasons have unfolded. Despite multiple waiver claims and a handful of NHL opportunities, Kahkonen has largely found himself in a third-string role - the kind of spot that keeps you on the move and off the ice more than any goalie wants.
Originally a fourth-round pick by the Minnesota Wild back in 2014, Kahkonen once carried the label of a potential future starter. His early development showed promise, and when San Jose acquired him in 2022 in exchange for Jacob Middleton, the Sharks were hoping a change of scenery might unlock his potential and help stabilize their crease. But that fresh start never quite translated into a long-term fit.
Since then, Kahkonen’s career has taken on a journeyman feel. Over the last two seasons alone, he’s bounced between San Jose, New Jersey, Winnipeg, Colorado, Florida (at the AHL level), and most recently, Montreal - who signed him to a one-year, one-way deal worth $1.15 million on the opening day of free agency. Despite that contract, he’s seen more action in the minors than in the NHL.
Across his 140-game NHL career, Kahkonen has posted a 3.34 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage - numbers that, while not disastrous, haven’t been enough to lock down a steady backup job. This season in Laval, though, he’s been more solid, putting up a 2.67 GAA and a .905 save percentage over 20 games. It’s a reminder that there’s still something in the tank - just maybe not in a league where opportunity is so tightly contested.
With the writing on the wall regarding his role in the NHL pecking order, Kahkonen seems ready to reset. Heading to Europe might not come with the same paycheck - seven-figure deals are rare in leagues like the SHL or NL - but it could offer something just as valuable: stability, playing time, and a chance to be a key piece on a roster again.
For a goaltender who’s spent the last few years living out of a suitcase and waiting for a phone call that might never come, the opportunity to play closer to home, in a league that values what he brings, might be the right call. And if this is the next chapter for Kahkonen, it’s one that could give him a fresh start - and perhaps a more fitting finish - to a career that’s seen its fair share of twists.