Rangers coach Gerard Gallant fully expects Kaapo Kakko to be back in the lineup for the playoffs.

After he went off in the first period against Detroit on Saturday following an awkward fall on his knee, Kakko didn’t participate in practice on Monday at the MSG Training Center. The team described him as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

With only two weeks left in the regular season before the Rangers begin their playoff run, that would seem to indicate concern. But Gallant even left the door open for Kakko to play before the end of the regular season.

“I look at Kaapo being back next week,” Gallant said. “This isn’t a two-, three-, four-week injury, no. If he’s not ready for the first game of the playoffs, I’ll be disappointed.

“Will he play games before the playoffs start? I’m not sure about that, but I fully expect him to be back in for the playoffs.”

The 21-year-old Finn was playing just his fourth game following a 10-week absence with a suspected wrist injury. With a pair of goals at Philadelphia last Wednesday, he seemed to have just been getting back to his game.

“The only tough part about this one was Kaapo was playing real well, he just got back,” Gallant said. “Definitely disappointing for him, but again, it’s not long term.”

Without Kakko, who had been skating on a line with Filip Chytil and Barclay Goodrow, Alexis Lafreniere was with those two in practice on Monday. The former No. 1-overall pick was a healthy scratch against the Flyers last week before returning to the lineup with two goals on Saturday.

Ryan Reaves slotted into the fourth line with Dryden Hunt and Kevin Rooney.

The Rangers are also missing Tyler Motte for at least the rest of the regular season with an upper-body injury.

“Definitely sucks losing some guys, but I feel like we’re very capable,” Andrew Copp said. “We’ve got 15, 16, 17 forwards that can hop in anytime just with the guys that are hurt up front.”

Gallant said Chris Kreider’s pursuit of the single-season franchise goals record wouldn’t factor into whether he gives him rest before the postseason, but doesn’t expect Kreider would want a break anyhow.

“If Kreids comes to us and says I don’t feel good, then obviously we put him out of the lineup. … But he’s shown no indication of that,” Gallant said.

Kreider needs four goals to tie and five to break Jaromir Jagr’s team mark of 54, set in 2005-06.