 Kähkönen was drafted by the Wild in the fourth round (109th overall) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.Kähkönen played as a youth in his homeland within the Espoo Blues organization.He made his professional debut on loan to TUTO Hockey of the Mestis in the 2014–15 season before returning to make his Liiga debut with the Blues during the following 2015–16 Liiga season.