Player Discussion Kaapo Kakko: Part II

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Is it just me, or doesnt it seems like harder then ever for rookies to break into the league?

Last year there were 9 teenagers playing over half the games in the NHL. The season before that only 12.

It has always been hard for teenagers to break into the league, and even more so for teams that have some depth already. Rangers weren't a bottom team with 0 good wingers.

 

[SwedishFire]

Last year there were 9 teenagers playing over half the games in the NHL. The season before that only 12.

It has always been hard for teenagers to break into the league, and even more so for teams that have some depth already. Rangers weren't a bottom team with 0 good wingers.

But its werid, in despite expanding the teams and players in the league.
Incompetence handling young players, or are players mental weaker nowadays?

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

But its werid, in despite expanding the teams and players in the league.
Incompetence handling young players, or are players mental weaker nowadays?

When the league expanded, so did the player pool. In the 1990s we had new teams in San Jose, Anaheim, Sunrise, Tampa etc but with that came the influx of European players, including the first Russians.

In the 2000s we saw Germans, Austrians, Swiss and Danish players enter the league at higher numbers to coincide with the expansion teams in Minnesota, Nashville, Atlanta and such.

Expansion doesn't necessarily mean the player pool is diluted and therefore it would be easier for players to make it to the NHL

 

[aufheben]

franchise forwards? They put them in top mins opportunities and let them shine. They learn how to check as they go. They certainly don’t play them 10 mins a game next to Brett Howden because they made a rookie mistake. They lose games because of it but it’s for a reason.

He’s not a Crosby/McDavid-level prospect.

 

[Kovalev27]

Doesn’t need to be. You can go years before you get to a first or 2nd overall that didn’t play in the league right away.

Especially a year when the top 2 guys are 1 and 1a. You let them play. And u play them with good players. You don’t tie them to another 20 year old. 10 mins with Mika then abandoning it is crazy. At worst you play him on your top PP. that lasted what one or two opportunities?

 

[BroadwayBlues]

pretty clear NJ knows that his development is the most important thing and when he struggled they glued him next to hall and palmieri at even strength and the PP. not for 10 mins like we did with Kakko but for a few games until he finally broke out.

Quinn is coaching for wins and will not put Kakko next to Howden on the third line bury him further and give him a couple mins on PP2 to keep people off his back. He should know this season is about developing your future franchise players. Not trying to scrape by.

Could be that catch in hiring a college coach for development. A part of him wants to prove he can win/coach at this level. Multiple losing seasons doesn't reflect well on a coaches record.

 

[Mac n Gs]

Doesn’t need to be. You can go years before you get to a first or 2nd overall that didn’t play in the league right away.

Especially a year when the top 2 guys are 1 and 1a. You let them play. And u play them with good players. You don’t tie them to another 20 year old. 10 mins with Mika then abandoning it is crazy. At worst you play him on your top PP. that lasted what one or two opportunities?

Right, and more often than not, those players start with limited minutes before getting increasing opportunities. Remember, he's still 18 years old. When Barkov broke in with Florida, he played primarily with Brad Boyes and Sean Bergenheim, and it wasn't until the next year that he even started to see minutes with Huberdeau.

FWIW, Kakko really hasn't been that good at 5v5, so it's not like he's making a case for himself to get better minutes. Despite that, we've still seen him promoted and given mostly 2nd line minutes. Ideally, we'll see him start to get his legs under him and then be a staple on the opposite wing of Panarin. I really want to see a Panarin-Chytil-Kakko line, and I don't think we're gonna be that far away from it.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Looked into it, of the 5 points Hughes put up, 2 were on the PP and 1 came just seconds after another had expired. More importantly, he's built confidence and played better as each game passes, especially 5v5.

Hughes has been snakebit as all hell too, so the 5 points in 9 games isnt something I'm concerned about. He should have at least 3 or 4 more points. But like you're saying, he's looking a little bit better with each and every passing game. I think it's all about confidence, he seems to be starting to believe.

 

[Ori]

@BenedictGomez We have Ryan Strome in a #2nd line center duty who has been on the same line as Kakko, and coaches in NHL always bench young players doing mistakes which is normal in that age category.
Ideally Strome playing a bottom #6 role on any NHL team it do not help Kakko case to get a better start on his NHL career. And Kreider has been a slow starter and I was worried about that before the season started, and he also played on the Kakko line in the beginning of this season.

 

[3rd Guy High]

He’s playing tentative, he’s afraid to make mistakes.

he’s not attacking with his skill as he does in all the highlight reels we all have seen. He needs a coach to tell him to just go out there and that tack and have fun, and let the rest fall into place. Deal with the mistakes and learn from them as they come

 

[Hisch13r]

@BenedictGomez We have Ryan Strome in a #2nd line center duty who has been on the same line as Kakko, and coaches in NHL always bench young players doing mistakes which is normal in that age category.
Ideally Strome playing a bottom #6 role on any NHL team it do not help Kakko case to get a better start on his NHL career. And Kreider has been a slow starter and I was worried about that before the season started, and he also played on the Kakko line in the beginning of this season.

Have they tried splitting Panarin and Zibanejad? They’re great together but both should be able to drive a line. Then put Kakko with one of them

 

[CasusBelli]

He’s playing tentative, he’s afraid to make mistakes.

he’s not attacking with his skill as he does in all the highlight reels we all have seen. He needs a coach to tell him to just go out there and that tack and have fun, and let the rest fall into place. Deal with the mistakes and learn from them as they come

Easier to apologize and ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Have they tried splitting Panarin and Zibanejad? They’re great together but both should be able to drive a line. Then put Kakko with one of them

They split them the last game for Buffalo and had Zibanejad with Kakko and Kreider. I’d probably put Kakko with Panarin and whoever at center, but for the next game it seems like he’s going to be with Lemieux and Howden

 

[Sockosensei]

...for the next game it seems like he’s going to be with Lemieux and Howden

If I'm the coach, I tell him that the goal for this game is to keep his feet moving. The rest is a bonus.

Give him just one clear goal with low pressure and medium ice time.

Let him succeed in that and build him back up slowly.

 

[aufheben]

Kid's been fine. This entire thread is really much ado about nothing. There is absolutely nothing abnormal about his career so far.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

If I'm the coach, I tell him that the goal for this game is to keep his feet moving. The rest is a bonus.

Give him just one clear goal with low pressure and medium ice time.

Let him succeed in that and build him back up slowly.

If he's not going to be with Panarin, I like him with Lemieux, he has a knack for getting guys on his line more engaged and going

 

[effen]

If he's not going to be with Panarin, I like him with Lemieux, he has a knack for getting guys on his line more engaged and going

Unless he gets faster really quickly he's gonna do better in the short term on a grinding line who all play at the same speed and give him a little physical protection.

I'd like to see him on the 3rd with Lemieux and whatever non-Strome center.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

If I'm the coach, I tell him that the goal for this game is to keep his feet moving. The rest is a bonus.

Give him just one clear goal with low pressure and medium ice time.

Let him succeed in that and build him back up slowly.

"keep your feet moving" is just as bad as saying "get pucks to the net". It's such a stupid thing to say. Meaningless. But coaches and fans eat it up. I don't get it.

 

[Kiekura]

Kakko said in Finnish interview that his confidence is currently low and he is disappointed on himself. Season didn't start as he expected and hockey for him currently isn't fun.

We've known for long time that kid is harsh on himself and it clearly shows. He have high expectations on himself and i seriously think it would be good to put him on PP1 to boost his confidence. Also coaches need to step up and tell him to be little easier on himself and that he is doing fine.

Funny thing and bit of OT, but Joel Armia said that one reason why he is playing now so well is because he isn't so harsh on himself and he just tries to enjoy playing.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

Kakko said in Finnish interview that his confidence is currently low and he is disappointed on himself. Season didn't start as he expected and hockey for him currently isn't fun.

We've known for long time that kid is harsh on himself and it clearly shows. He have high expectations on himself and i seriously think it would be good to put him on PP1 to boost his confidence. Also coaches need to step up and tell him to be little easier on himself and that he is doing fine.

Funny thing and bit of OT, but Joel Armia said that one reason why he is playing now so well is because he isn't so harsh on himself and he just tries to enjoy playing.

Week old story and he's already been on PP1, but thanks for the...uh...old information.

Kakko needs to stop watching and waiting and has to assert himself and join the battle.

 

[ohbaby]

Kakko back on the 3rd line at practice.

The experiment of 5 minutes on a top line is over folks.

Either he's not handling the pace of the game, which would be fairly natural, or he is nursing something.

Next year he will breakout.

 

[kelsier]

Right, and more often than not, those players start with limited minutes before getting increasing opportunities. Remember, he's still 18 years old. When Barkov broke in with Florida, he played primarily with Brad Boyes and Sean Bergenheim, and it wasn't until the next year that he even started to see minutes with Huberdeau.

FWIW, Kakko really hasn't been that good at 5v5, so it's not like he's making a case for himself to get better minutes. Despite that, we've still seen him promoted and given mostly 2nd line minutes. Ideally, we'll see him start to get his legs under him and then be a staple on the opposite wing of Panarin. I really want to see a Panarin-Chytil-Kakko line, and I don't think we're gonna be that far away from it.

This isn't what happened. Barkov played some games with Huberdeau in the beginning, but Huberdeau suffered from a serious sophomore slump and he steered down the ranks. Barkov was united with Fleischmann and Versteeg early on during 13-14 and I think he finished the season with Boyes and Bergenheim.

The key point to the story is that Barkov was in fact Panther's #1C that season, basically from the beginning. His line mates were probably worse than what Kakko has had and Huberdeau never found himself that year. When just a year ago he was running for Calder and the hopes were pretty high ever after. During 13-14 he tallied only 28 points in 69 games and was the inferior player compared to Barkov who arguably already was good to elite at his own end and had just enough of offence within him. I actually started to worry about Huberdeau cause he sucked so hard, but luckily he busted his arse and got better.

Anyway Barkov was a freak of nature physically even though he lacked speed and skating. He was like a trunk even as an 18 year old unlike Kakko, so obviously the two have different development curves and in the end are hardly comparable. As prospects I've regarded them in a similar tier while of course they both play different style of hockey and will affect the game differently.

 

[ohbaby]

Kakko said in Finnish interview that his confidence is currently low and he is disappointed on himself. Season didn't start as he expected and hockey for him currently isn't fun.

We've known for long time that kid is harsh on himself and it clearly shows. He have high expectations on himself and i seriously think it would be good to put him on PP1 to boost his confidence. Also coaches need to step up and tell him to be little easier on himself and that he is doing fine.

Funny thing and bit of OT, but Joel Armia said that one reason why he is playing now so well is because he isn't so harsh on himself and he just tries to enjoy playing.

You could see his frustration on the ice. Things are not bouncing his way, he's not finding himself in positions to succeed. And he's been the first linemate off the ice in line changes.

 

[True Blue]

Kid's been fine. This entire thread is really much ado about nothing. There is absolutely nothing abnormal about his career so far.

People are freaking out that an 18 year old who had to move to a different continent and play in the best league in the world is not an instant superstar? I am shocked. SHOCKED!

 

[Kiekura]

Week old story and he's already been on PP1, but thanks for the...uh...old information.

Kakko needs to stop watching and waiting and has to assert himself and join the battle.

That article was like one or 2 days old.