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Player Discussion Kaapo Kakko: Part II

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Chimp said:
He should've played another year in Finland before coming over. I don't understand the rush to bring over players at such an early age, let them develop their game first.

As it is now, he's more of regressing than improving.
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The rush pertained to him dominating against men already. He didn't really have much more to gain overseas. If anything it would have set him back because he's getting used to the smaller ice and more physical nature of the NHL
 
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KreiderBomb said:
He is 18, he is a high end player who played overseas last year under a different style of game, different speed, size of rink etc. I'm really not worried about him at all, I wish NY would send all kids to the AHL until they earn a call up. This throwing them to the fire right away hasnt worked with anyone. I can see what you are saying though, I felt this early on where he kept trying to force it to Panarin but by now I'm sure he has been told by zib or artemi that you take your shot when it's there. He just needs time, I actually thought he was getting some good chemistry with Lemieux and Howden before he got hurt. I'd like to see him with Chytil and Fast now, two guys that will drag his pace up.
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He has played his best with Lemieux IMO. I think him, Lemieux and Chytil can be a good line when Brendan is back.
 
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ThirdEye said:
The rush pertained to him dominating against men already. He didn't really have much more to gain overseas. If anything it would have set him back because he's getting used to the smaller ice and more physical nature of the NHL
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Naw, because in European leagues, you only play 5/8 of the games you do in the NHL. It's 55 games instead of 82.

You have alot more time to practice. It's at practice you become better. Then you do what you've practiced at the games. Not only that, you have more room against weaker opposition to perfect it, in a culturally safer enviroment as a young kid.

Switching country as an 18 year old is a huge thing, even if you follow your dreams.
 
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I'm gonna start this by saying I'm not smart about this kinda shit but I wonder if it'd help him to move to a longer stick. I know he uses a short stick and it helps with some of his stickhandling, but I feel like he's struggling to protect the puck as well as he's used to and maybe being able to move it further away from fore checkers rather than have it in his feet might help him.

Or he just needs to adjust. I feel like the biggest thing is that while he was playing in a mens league in Finland, it was still a vastly different style of play than the NHL and he just had an extra second or so and an extra foot or two of space. Plus NHLers are just better. So he's gotta figure out how to adjust to that and it's tough to do quickly as an 18 year old in a strange country in the best league in the world. Maybe the best thing for him would just to start shooting the puck a lot. Quinn challenged Strome to put up 5 shots in their last game, he should tell Kakko "just shoot it, I want you to put 4 shots on net at least in the next few games and if you do that, then I want you to put 5 shots on net in the following few games". Don't over think it, just put the puck on net, maybe some go in, maybe teams have to start respecting the shot and more passing lanes will open up.

regarding training, while I'm sure it's fine if he goes back to train in Finland rather than with Prentiss or something, I think he's gotta pick the brains of the NHL players who train there as well. He can't train like he's going to play in Finland, he's gotta train like a NHL player and if his trainer won't do that then he needs a new trainer (not saying that will be the case just saying in general).
 
ReggieDunlop68 said:
So he's doing ok for a far less good player than we hoped for?

I think that's what people are saying.

We made 2 huge signings in the summer which was supported by the fan base because they felt we were pretty close after getting the missing link in Kakko.

And if he's not, were the signings ok?

Why isn't having a good player having him learn to be good? Now having a elite Russian isn't enough. People are talking about bringing in Finns to make him look happy

Is it ok that we probably will end up picking outside the top 10 this year?
.

Whats the real story here?
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In time he will More than likely be an excellent player. He’s just a very talented kid. Patience.
 
Chimp said:
He should've played another year in Finland before coming over. I don't understand the rush to bring over players at such an early age, let them develop their game first.

As it is now, he's more of regressing than improving.
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I don't know man, watching him over the Summer he did not look like a kid lost against men and NHL players.

I don't think this is concerning at all but definitely disappointing. I expected Hughes to struggle more than Kakko and would not have been shocked if Kakko was in Calder contention. Maybe an AHL stint would be good, but he is done overseas.
 
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Turbosperg said:
I don't know man, watching him over the Summer he did not look like a kid lost against men and NHL players.

I don't think this is concerning at all but definitely disappointing. I expected Hughes to struggle more than Kakko and would not have been shocked if Kakko was in Calder contention. Maybe an AHL stint would be good, but he is done overseas.
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Well surely he did not play Finnish elite league trough.
He had problems in defencivezone, straight skating, and many more aspects if the game.
One year more in Liiga would have done good for kid.
 
Chimp said:
He should've played another year in Finland before coming over. I don't understand the rush to bring over players at such an early age, let them develop their game first.

As it is now, he's more of regressing than improving.
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I would've wanted him to go the Rantanen route and play in the AHL for awhile. I'm not a huge fan of prospects staying in Finland because the strength and conditioning training seems better in NA and they need to get accustomed to the NA rink size and style of play.
 
HockeyBasedNYC said:
Looked a lot more confident last night. Seemed like the time off due to injury helped him clear his mind a bit.
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Yeah he seemed quicker and more decisive last night from what bits of the game I saw.

Though it also looked like Quinn benched him after his holding penalty in the third period
 
Inferno said:
His shot wasn’t anything great...there were like 4 guys in front of Talbot and he couldn’t see it. He got it in net and it went in.
His shot doesn’t concern me, it’s just not an asset to his game. Plenty of guys score 20 plus goals every year with limp noodle shots.
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But that's the MO on his shot. A lot of his goals in Liiga (and the slapper he scored in the WC last year) come from sneaky shots that find their way in. I think once he gets up to NHL speed, we'll often find ourselves saying "his shot isn't that hard, but somehow the puck seems to find its way into the net."
 
007 said:
But that's the MO on his shot. A lot of his goals in Liiga (and the slapper he scored in the WC last year) come from sneaky shots that find their way in. I think once he gets up to NHL speed, we'll often find ourselves saying "his shot isn't that hard, but somehow the puck seems to find its way into the net."
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Sure. But his short isn’t great. I’m talking specifically the velocity. It’s definitely a weakness in his game.
 
TheGortonConspiracy said:
He's 18...
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Yes. And nowhere did I say his shot wasn’t going to improve...or that he’s done developing. So many ppl take literally any comment about a players weakness to be either a final picture assessment of a player or a giving up on the kid.

why is it not ok to simply state an observation for what it is in the here and now.
 
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Inferno said:
His shot wasn’t anything great...there were like 4 guys in front of Talbot and he couldn’t see it. He got it in net and it went in.
His shot doesn’t concern me, it’s just not an asset to his game. Plenty of guys score 20 plus goals every year with limp noodle shots.
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Nash was a pretty consistent 30 goal guy and scored 40 goals with a "limp noodle" shot. He was great with placement though. From a lot of Kakko's highlights he seems pretty good with placement as well, it's more that he hasn't seemed to be getting enough shots on goal so far in his young NHL career.
I don't think it's likely Kakko will ever have a real rocket of a shot but his upside should hopefully be him finding ways to get that sneaky shot on net as well as in the crease type goals and such.

I guess I'd say he's not a sniper and never will be because in my mind a sniper is someone who has great velocity and placement with their shot...he has good placement with his shot but his skills lie in other areas as well
 
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HockeyBasedNYC said:
Looked a lot more confident last night. Seemed like the time off due to injury helped him clear his mind a bit.
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until he gets his man-body, his game will be up-and-down depending on conditioning and rest. it will come with time.
 
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