Profile Update: Kyle Kukkonen

By Thomas Harrington

Drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the sixth round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, forward Kyle Kukkonen finished his third year of college hockey and his first with the University of Wisconsin.

Kukkonen spent his first two years of NCAA hockey playing for Michigan Tech. However, he struggled significantly in his sophomore year after a very strong freshman campaign. Because of those struggles, he decided to transfer to Wisconsin. With a new team, he had a much better season, but still didn’t quite get to where he was as a freshman. He played in 37 games and scored 10 goals and 19 points, improving on the goal and 12 points he scored as a sophomore. Kukkonen finished third on the team in goals, tied for ninth in assists, and fourth in points. He picked up his first point with his new team in the first game of the season, and had a season-high three points in a game in late November.

I had two expectations for Kukkonen last summer, and he hit both. First, I wanted him to stay healthy and play in most of Wisconsin’s games. He ended up playing in all 37 games for his new team. Second, I wanted Kukkonen to have a better season than his sophomore campaign, and he absolutely did. While he didn’t quite match what he did as a freshman, it’s great to see Kukkonen putting a difficult sophomore year behind him.

Kukkonen should be returning to the University of Wisconsin for his senior year, and I have a few expectations for him. First, for him to break the 20-point mark for the second time in his college career. It would be great if he could beat what he did as a freshman, but I’ll be satisfied with Kukkonen putting up more points than he did last season. Second, for him to finish top five on the team in goals, assists, and points. He came close last year, and if he had two more assists he would have been there with 11. Finally, I want him to play in most of Wisconsin’s games again.

Kukkonen is still likely a few years away from making it to the NHL. This will be his last year of college hockey, and assuming he signs his entry-level deal with Anaheim when it’s complete, he should spend some time with the Gulls. If Kukkonen plays well in the AHL, he’ll probably be with the Gulls for a year or two before he gets called up to the NHL for a few games, and then have a chance at a full time NHL roster spot in the season after that.

So we could see him play a game or two in an Anaheim uniform in the 2027-2028 season. However, if he plays well enough, the Ducks could consider giving him some NHL time at the end of next season, similar to what both Ian Moore and Sam Colangelo have done in recent years. If that does happen, I’d still expect him to spend most of the 2026-2027 season in the AHL.

Kukkonen is currently unsigned and Anaheim controls his rights until August, 2026. If he can have a strong final season of college, the Ducks should sign him before then. However, if his senior year mirrors his sophomore year, Anaheim could choose to not sign him and let him become a free agent.

The next prospect update will be on forward Nico Myatovic.

Related Articles:

Prospect Profile: Tim Washe

Prospect Profile: Jeremie Biakabutuka

Prospect Profile: Herman Traff

Graduated Prospect: Sam Colangelo

Graduated Prospect: Drew Helleson

Graduated Prospect: Cutter Gauthier

Graduated Prospect: Nikita Nesterenko

Prospect Update: Ian Moore

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July 13th, 2025