Post-Game Talk: #27 - 03/15/2021 | Rangers vs Flyers | 7:00 PM EST - NBCSN, MSG

[Chaels Arms]

Kakko has certain skills and abilities to be a very good player but after watching essentially all his NHL games I'm beginning to think he is the type of winger who is going to need a center who can hold and pass the puck. Kind of like Nylander with Jagr.

 

[TheDirtyH]

I'm trying to think of how this season could've played out worse to this point...then I throw Kravtsov into the mix

 

[FireGerardGallant]

Everyone needs to back off the ledge with kakko and laf. They will both be top players in the nhl. Laf will be a top 10 player

Im with you man, I really am but how can you not see this and at least think something is wrong with how they're being handled

 

[RangersFan]

Drafting a 2nd overall and a 1st overall back-to-back only to have them combine for like 10 points a season is literally my nightmare.

I joked in the offseason with my friends who are Islanders fans that only on the Rangers would Laf be an ineffective 1OA. This is my literal nightmare. Kakko and Laf were absolute STUDS as prospects. As blue chip as you can get. How could anyone not be concerned?

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

You cannot let kakko and lafreniere waste away. I don’t even care if you like Quinn. You have to try a new voice. This isn’t ok

Yup. A change has to come. You have literally the two highest draft picks in franchise history on the team together and both are underwhelming under Quinn. You can’t let this snowball.

You don’t torpedo their careers out of loyalty to David f***ing Quinn.

 

[Harbour Dog]

I wish I was going to be as pleasantly surprised next year as some of you will be, at how good Lafreniere and Kakko have "magically" become. But I digress.

Zibanejad has gone through waves this season where he either sucks or is snake-bitten. I have no idea why we haven't put him with Panarin for a few games to give him a confidence boost.

Also, if Fox is going to miss more time, it would be good to see Reunanen get PP time ahead of Miller. And Miller needs to be told that he can't pinch for a while. He is making terrible decisions all over the ice right now, and he's just gotta settle it down and figure it out one zone at a time.

 

[ReddestRum]

I also don't know where this, "Sit Miller" crap is coming from. Legit vets on the team in a worst state than Miller who is also struggling, and you want to sit the kid?

 

[Rangers in 7]

My babysitter used to say something similar.

"Don't cry, here's a packet of dunk-a-roos and you need to be patient because Hugh Jessiman just has too much talent to not be a Rangers legend."

Huge difference between hugh f***ing Jessiman and kakko/laf. Come on don’t be naive. Am I frustrated with them? Yes. Are they still going to be good players? Absolutely

 

[Cmox]

Kakko had a awesome flash of board play tonight.. that was a plus.. I guess

 

[bl02]

There will be some teams desperate for center help. Take advantage of Strome's value. I would to with Zibby but I am sure optically it would look horrible for this organization.

 

[Tob]

I'm trying to think of how this season could've played out worse to this point...then I throw Kravtsov into the mix

I really hope JD and Gorton learned whatever it was they needed to learn after the Great Exodus of 2019.

 

[tomobson]

Quinn can't get anything out of Laf and Kakko. Kakko plays like a third defenseman out there when they are in the offensive zone. If management is so enamored with Quinn then please get Oliver out of here and get someone that can teach these kids some offense.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

1 point means absolutely nothing for this team. We're not making the playoffs. That's not the result we are evaluating at all. How the kids played is the only thing that matters. We're not trying to win the cup Glen.

Yeah no kidding. The kids play well some games, not so well in others. Go figure. The youngest team in the league is inconsistent. Go figure. Lets overreact and trade 19 yo's Miller and Laf because they had bad games. Laf had no preseason, and has played about 20 NHL games yet some are calling him a bust. It's ridiculous. Quinn is the problem and will be gone by next season.

 

[CupSeeker]

Right now, we are looking at a #1, #2, #7, and a #9 go down the shitter. That simply cannot happen. If it does, this rebuild is over.

This is true. But there is no reason to expect this to happen. This coach is treating them like everyone else holding them accountable. So, they are playing pretty conservatively. Both are 3rd man high alot and are not getting PP time. Other top picks, like Jack Hughes who gives the puck away all night are given a ton of rope to make mistakes and lead to losses and they get some points because of usage and because they are talented. This coach is not interested in how many point Laf and KK put up at 19 and 20. He is trying to make them 200 foot players and that and some bad luck have led to poor production. Just be patient.

 

[Tob]

Yeah no kidding. The kids play well some games, not so well in others. Go figure. The youngest team in the league is inconsistent. Go figure. Lets overreact and trade 19 yo's Miller and Laf because they had bad games. Laf had no preseason, and has played about 20 NHL games yet some are calling him a bust. It's ridiculous. Quinn is the problem and will be gone by next season.

We know Quinn is the problem. That's 90% of our complaints. We're not throwing these kids under the bus to call them busts. We're doing it to throw Quinn under the bus.

 

[ohbaby]

Big mistake to not use Kakko in 3 on 3 OT play. Laff was the wrong choice, he hasn't been skating well. Just stands around looking to pass instead of skating. He used Kreids, Zibad, Panarin, even Miller, all known to skate well. Him not using Kakko was a big mistake. You know Kakko can carry the puck in open ice. He must have been in the doghouse.

 

[TheDirtyH]

I really hope JD and Gorton learned whatever it was they needed to learn after the Great Exodus of 2019.

We're just trying to get better every day

 

[CupSeeker]

Also, Hart played really well in this game giving up four while Kinkaid stunk giving up five. That mattered.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Honestly the rebuild is over if both Kakko and Laf don't pan out.

bro my f***ing fandom of this team is over if they both bust lol

 

[Killem Dafoe]

I joked in the offseason with my friends who are Islanders fans that only on the Rangers would Laf be an ineffective 1OA. This is my literal nightmare. Kakko and Laf were absolute STUDS as prospects. As blue chip as you can get. How could anyone not be concerned?

I was 100% sure Kakko was a slam dunk pick. I would have taken him over Hughes 10 out of 10 times. Dude was skating circles around men before he even came here. Laf - same thing. A bit older, bigger, has some grit. I would have bet my sack that they would be immediate impact players.

Good thing I didn't...

 

[bl02]

Kakko has certain skills and abilities to be a very good player but after watching essentially all his NHL games I'm beginning to think he is the type of winger who is going to need a center who can hold and pass the puck. Kind of like Nylander with Jagr.

We have the secret zero goal man in Karl Henriksson coming soon. Don't you worry!

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

Soon enough we gonna have 3 top 10 draft forwards doing jack squat every game lol

 

[Filthy Dangles]

They can’t f***ing score.

Kakko and Lafreniere have been handed everything. Look at Chytil, you can put him with anyone and he’ll make an impact. And he had to work for it.

What special treatment did Hayes get? He scored 45 f***ing points as a rookie getting less ice-time than Dominic Moore. Didn’t even see PP time until like March.

Except, you know, literally any 1st unit Powerplay time....

 

[LeetchisGod]

Laf and Kakko doing nothing is concerning but I can’t put my finger on what the issue is

Luck is definitely a piece of it though haha

Neither of them is shooting the puck or driving to the net enough. They both could also stand to improve their skating. Kakko needs to work on his shot.

 

[RangersFan]

Kakko and Laf's biggest issue in my mind right now is that they are too slow for today's NHL. They need to get a helluva lot faster. They have the skills, but if every time they have the puck, they get rubbed off immediately because they aren't fast skaters, there's nothing they can do with it.

Agreed. If I'm the FO I'm wary of drafting any kid who doesn't have wheels who projects to be an impact player.