Following the drawn Lions series, Kaino was selected for the 2017 Rugby Championship but did not play in the competition due to personal reasons, making his first ITM Cup appearance for Auckland in 7 years. Kaino's absence from the Rugby Championship saw him lose his starting spot to Liam Squire and Vaea Fifita who spent the 2017 putting forward cases to make the number 6 jersey theirs. Kaino started at number 8 in the All Blacks' 31-22 win over the Barbarians on the end-of-year tour but was subbed off with a posterior cruciate ligament injury in the 45th minute and replaced by Sam Cane.