Player Discussion Kaapo Kakko: Part II

[MetalJaws]

Jesus this board sometimes.

#1 Kakko was a gift from the hockey gods. We went from picking 6th (I think) to 2nd. Which is not only historic but paramount for the rebuild. Unanimously 2nd OA take. Zero to complain about.
#2 Kakko is 18 years old playing in the NHL. Which is a rare feat.
#3 Kakko is not supposed to be THE guy yet. Maybe in another 2 or 3 years. If he puts up 40pts a year in his 3rd and 4th years. Then you can worry.
#4 Kakko is not being utilized as a top 6 player like some other organizations would have him in. He's insulated well and should be. Remember, he was a gift!
#5 It's obvious he has a lot of the right tools. It's also obvious he is missing some. Foot Speed, Conditioning and shot can and will be worked on and likely done to an elite fashion.
#6 Let the kid grow, learn the language, get use to a full season on the road and the ins and outs of hotels and practice. It's a lot for anyone to take on, at 18 it's crazy.
#7 Out of all the things to worry about on these boards, the Kakko thread is likely the least to be concerned about.

Go Rangers.

 

[Inferno]

an 18 year old should not dominate the NHL unless your name is Crosby or mcdavid, those are generational talents....kakko and Hughes are future stars, there is a difference. everyone should have expected growing pains for both of them....when they are 20 and 21 they will both be top 20 players in the NHL, but for the time being they are children in a mans league which is fine!

Eh.

There's a difference between saying an 18 year old shouldn't dominate the NHL and saying an 18 year old shouldn't be categorically one of the worst players on the team.

If kakko wasn't the 2oa he woildnt be in the NHL right now. He's playing very poor hockey, and for the people who keep bringing up his age, we all get it, he's 18. But saying he's 18 doesn't change how he's played. His play is his play. Nobody is saying he won't get better. I see flashes of an absolute monster. But he's been horrible this year. It is what it is. That's what development looks like fellas.

 

[East Coast Bias]

Which is a rare feet.

Calm down, Rex Ryan

 

[doomscroll]

He's played 40 nhl games and we haven't hit the AS break and you're tired.

Maybe go take a look back at some of the top 5 picks over the past decade, and how they performed in their 18 year old season.

For every McKinnon, there's a Barkov (who had 35 pts his rookie season). Or Draisaitl who had 7 pts in 37 games after coming over from Europe.

It's not easy to transition from Europe at 18 right into the NHL. There are far bigger life changes than some kid who grew up in Ontario.

My issue with bringing Barkov into ‘less productive rookie campaign’ argument is that he played with some tremendously bad Panthers tams. In his D+1 season there wasn’t even a 40-point-scorer on the team.

 

[MetalJaws]

Calm down, Rex Ryan

smh edited.

 

[will1066]

Eh.

There's a difference between saying an 18 year old shouldn't dominate the NHL and saying an 18 year old shouldn't be categorically one of the worst players on the team.

If kakko wasn't the 2oa he woildnt be in the NHL right now. He's playing very poor hockey, and for the people who keep bringing up his age, we all get it, he's 18. But saying he's 18 doesn't change how he's played. His play is his play. Nobody is saying he won't get better. I see flashes of an absolute monster. But he's been horrible this year. It is what it is. That's what development looks like fellas.

Thank you.

 

[tellermine]

My issue with bringing Barkov into ‘less productive rookie campaign’ argument is that he played with some tremendously bad Panthers tams. In his D+1 season there wasn’t even a 40-point-scorer on the team.

Also Sasha was really good at own end allready then.
More complete.

 

[RGY]

To me Kakko looks a bit tired and at the same time demoralized because he is not producing. He is a kid, and the mental aspect of the game needs to mature just as much as the physical side. He doesnt have the same jump in his step as he did in the first couple weeks.

He looks like he is playing careful, in a responsible way. He doesn’t want to do too much and make a mistake. I think over time as he nails down the team system and matures all around his natural talent will show more.

But I do think he needs to work on his skating. Again, could just be a maturation thing. He will get even stronger shielding players off of him.

 

[Maximus]

I dunno fellas and I said it a few times on the game day thread and the post game thread but whatever got into Kakko tonight, I want some more of...alot more of it. He was simply fantastic tonight.

IMO, by far tonight was his best game as a Ranger and it was a great sight to see cause he really needed a night like this for his confidence. He w as he was as engaged, focused, decisive as I've ever seen him in a Ranger sweater. He even seemed faster and quicker on his skates tonight than any game I've seen him play which I was very pleasantly surprised by. He was schooling Islander players pretty much every time he had the puck.

I know I'm not the only one who saw this as I got about 5 text messages from buds of mine while the game was on and the one from my brother said "who is the impostor wearing #24 for us tonight" a line I actually used cause it was so apropos on the game day thread...lol.

Whatever got into him...more please. Tonight I saw the Kakko I saw at the Worlds during the summer when he dominated. Hopefully after the break he can use what happened tonight as a springboard for the rest of the season cause if he does, we might just have a beast on our hands as early as next year once he goes thru the expected intense offseason regimen he will participate in.

Me want some more of the Kakko I saw last night...it was quite enjoyable to see him play like that...

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Confirmed by the post that Kakko will be going home to finland during the break

He hasn't seen his parents since October. It must be rough for him. He's very close to them, and his little brother, so some time back home, even if it's just a few days, will definitely help him recharge his batteries mentally.

 

[Edge]

Kakko's numbers look eerily similar to Barkov's rookie season --- and the latter was a good half-year older, with another season prior to his draft during that campaign.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Kakko's numbers look eerily similar to Barkov's rookie season --- and the latter was a good half-year older, with another season prior to his draft during that campaign.

Actually, Barkov was half a year younger

 

[Edge]

Actually, Barkov was half a year younger

My bad, I put his birth year in 1994.

So strike that last part.

 

[NYR94]

He played a season high 19:33 last night.

 

[WojtekWolski86]

Remember when Torts used to get pissed at Kreider for carrying the puck behind the net and not taking the puck TO the net? Kaako reminds me of a young Kreider in that regard. Drives me nuts when I see him pass up on shooting or heck forcing a pass just to skate behind the net and then get physically separated from the puck.

 

[EdJovanovski]

 

[CasusBelli]

Bu

Advanced stats don’t mean anything. Even when they all point to the same conclusion. It’s like the “fundamental investors” who ignore situations in which every technical analysis drives the same conclusion. But what can you do.

 

[aufheben]

What does this have to do with anything?

 

[East Coast Bias]

What does this have to do with anything?

just a poster trying to use advanced stats to prove a claim that they were one of the the only ones who wanted Hughes over Kakko, while simultaneously trashing advanced stats in other threads.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

You can see why they drafted him, once he get comfortable in the NHL look out. For all the complaining about signing Panarin, even outside of his almost hart trophy like performance he is exactly the kind of guy you want bringing Kakko along and teaching him to be a pro.

 

[Maximus]

He hasn't seen his parents since October. It must be rough for him. He's very close to them, and his little brother, so some time back home, even if it's just a few days, will definitely help him recharge his batteries mentally.

I think your right that some time spent back home, relaxing and being with family will be just what the doctor ordered for Kakko.

I tell ya, I still can't get over how good he looked last night. Whether or not it was fluke or not, he really showed his full repertoire and was as confident with the puck as I'd seen him since Traverse City before camp opened up.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how Kakko responds after the break and hopefully Quinn leaves him with Kreider and Mika as the three of them seemed to have some nice chemistry with one another...here's to hoping!

 

[Sisu4ever]

I was at work so couldn't watch. I would like to watch Kaapos play, and wonder if the video of the latest game is available anywhere online?

 

[RangersFan1994]

Kaapo Kakko opens up about rookie season challenges with NY Rangers: 'It's not so easy'

 

[Uncle Dru]

Not disagreeing that Hughes has been better but this can be a bit misleading. Hughes has a ridiculously high OZS% and his relative stats are bad (on an awful team) away from Hall.

Hoping we see more of what Kakko showed in his last game. He looks like a different player when he keeps his feet moving

 

[chosen]

Jesus this board sometimes.

#1 Kakko was a gift from the hockey gods. We went from picking 6th (I think) to 2nd. Which is not only historic but paramount for the rebuild. Unanimously 2nd OA take. Zero to complain about.
#2 Kakko is 18 years old playing in the NHL. Which is a rare feat.
#3 Kakko is not supposed to be THE guy yet. Maybe in another 2 or 3 years. If he puts up 40pts a year in his 3rd and 4th years. Then you can worry.
#4 Kakko is not being utilized as a top 6 player like some other organizations would have him in. He's insulated well and should be. Remember, he was a gift!
#5 It's obvious he has a lot of the right tools. It's also obvious he is missing some. Foot Speed, Conditioning and shot can and will be worked on and likely done to an elite fashion.
#6 Let the kid grow, learn the language, get use to a full season on the road and the ins and outs of hotels and practice. It's a lot for anyone to take on, at 18 it's crazy.
#7 Out of all the things to worry about on these boards, the Kakko thread is likely the least to be concerned about.

Go Rangers.

Foot speed is the only point of concern, today, but not a big one, yet.