Player Discussion Kaapo Kakko: Part IV

[FireGerardGallant]

Kind of stunk the last two games but seemed to have a strong bounce back yesterday. Hopefully him Laf and Chytil playing together can get all of them producing

 

[Synergy27]

Where is it suggested that he is going to become stronger when all gyms are shut down? Where is it suggested that he will be better prepared with no access to a skating rink besides a backyard one??

Did you watch the videos?

Sam Cosentino: When you look at all the time he’s had to prepare here, in terms of the training, the off ice, the on ice, the skills, the skating. All of those things would have had more time to prepare than anyone else in the draft history.

Brian Burke: All these kids have done since they quit playing hockey in March is train. They are in the gym working on their explosiveness. Etc, etc, etc.

Honestly though man, you are just cherry picking stuff at this point. I am not making this claim myself, just pointing you to some who did in the context of where and how I formed my expectations for our prized rookies. You told me to put down the crack pipe a few posts ago. I then demonstrated to you how I’m not coming at this as some crazy person, but rather as a member of the broad consensus that formed around these kids at the time of their draft.

 

[rdhstlr23]

I’m so tired of the responses being “Watch the games!”

Listen. We all watch the f***ing the games. That’s why we are on here, because we are fans.

You want to cite his underlying numbers and his jump from YR1 to YR? Fair. You want to tell me about what you are - “the eye test”? Fair.

Those are all solid opinions. They’re opinions I don’t agree with, but if you still believe the pre-draft hype Kaapo Kakko is the guy we are getting, that’s fair. Talk to me about his age? Fair. Give him time.

BUT....don’t act like it’s a foregone conclusion that the star protection is coming. Too many examples of players that have all those things and simply can’t ever turn it into production.

People don’t have to give him 3 years, before having an opinion on what they feel he will be. There were opinions on what he was before he ever stepped on the ice for the Rangers. Just because it’s not a positive one, doesn’t mean it’s not right, or backed with solid points.

 

[BroadwayStorm]

He lacks that final hockey sense, he does everything right until he gets to the area where the crease is, he is not decisive. Needs to be more selfish and shoot first. At least he is making pretty plays and puts more effort, but the last part is the hard part.

 

[True Blue]

Did you watch the videos?

Sam Cosentino: When you look at all the time he’s had to prepare here, in terms of the training, the off ice, the on ice, the skills, the skating. All of those things would have had more time to prepare than anyone else in the draft history.

Brian Burke: All these kids have done since they quit playing hockey in March is train. They are in the gym working on their explosiveness. Etc, etc, etc.

Honestly though man, you are just cherry picking stuff at this point. I am not making this claim myself, just pointing you to some who did in the context of where and how I formed my expectations for our prized rookies. You told me to put down the crack pipe a few posts ago. I then demonstrated to you how I’m not coming at this as some crazy person, but rather as a member of the broad consensus that formed around these kids at the time of their draft.

Dude.

How the eff' is was he going to train since there were NO GYMS OPEN? As in ZERO? How was he going to skate when there were no rinks open? As in ZERO. Where the eff' were you finding an open gym back in April? Unless you are suggesting that Burke knew of underground gyms where athletes went?

You are championing a claim that if ludicrous by it's very nature. Name one friggin' gym or rink that was open? Kreider could not go to Prentiss but Lafreniere found some sort of gym and rink that no other NHL athlete was privy to? Really?

 

[bl02]

He lacks that final hockey sense, he does everything right until he gets to the area where the crease is, he is not decisive. Needs to be more selfish and shoot first. At least he is making pretty plays and puts more effort, but the last part is the hard part.

Somehow someway he needs to get to the net more often. Either driving to the net for a rebound like he did for his last goal ages ago or simply just physically being near the net without the puck

 

[duhmetreE]

Somehow someway he needs to get to the net more often. Either driving to the net for a rebound like he did for his last goal ages ago or simply just physically being near the net without the puck

Maybe my eyes deceive me, but we rarely see him in high%-scoring areas.

This circles back to, what is the system? Optics tell me we have a perimeter possession gameplan.. which he has exceled in... but you can't score from there.

 

[BreadManPanarin]

I’m so tired of the responses being “Watch the games!”

Listen. We all watch the f***ing the games. That’s why we are on here, because we are fans.

You want to cite his underlying numbers and his jump from YR1 to YR? Fair. You want to tell me about what you are - “the eye test”? Fair.

Those are all solid opinions. They’re opinions I don’t agree with, but if you still believe the pre-draft hype Kaapo Kakko is the guy we are getting, that’s fair. Talk to me about his age? Fair. Give him time.

BUT....don’t act like it’s a foregone conclusion that the star protection is coming. Too many examples of players that have all those things and simply can’t ever turn it into production.

People don’t have to give him 3 years, before having an opinion on what they feel he will be. There were opinions on what he was before he ever stepped on the ice for the Rangers. Just because it’s not a positive one, doesn’t mean it’s not right, or backed with solid points.

MacKinnon put up 53 pts in 82 games in his fourth season. 10 less than his rookie season.

Then he put up 97 pts in 74 games in his fifth season.

Sometimes players just need some time to figure it out. Calm down.

 

[Kovalev27]

Maybe my eyes deceive me, but we rarely see him in high%-scoring areas.

This circles back to, what is the system? Optics tell me we have a perimeter possession gameplan.. which he has exceled in... but you can't score from there.

spot on. He’s rarely in positions to score. Less so this year than last year

 

[romba]

Maybe my eyes deceive me, but we rarely see him in high%-scoring areas.

This circles back to, what is the system? Optics tell me we have a perimeter possession gameplan.. which he has exceled in... but you can't score from there.

Ha! Something like this?:

Quinnypoo: ok guys, here's the game plan, listen well! TODAY WE"RE KEEPING IT TO THE OUTSIDE IN THE O ZONE, NO SHOTS FROM THE SLOT OR HIGH DANGER AREAS. IDEALLY YOU SHOULD OVERHANDLE THE PUCK ON THE PERIMETER UNTIL YOUR PASSING OPTIONS ARE GONE AND TURN IT OVER AT THE BLUE LINE. WE CAN DO THIS IF WE ALL PUT OUR MINDS TO IT. On 3, GO TEAM!

 

[Machinehead]

"Oh but the gyms were closed!"

Yeah I'm sure this guy playing for the Roumiski Oceanic and New York Rangers had nowhere to work out.

 

[romba]

"Oh but the gyms were closed!"

Yeah I'm sure this guy playing for the Roumiski Oceanic and New York Rangers had nowhere to work out.

Some of the takes....

While it may not have been 'ideal', Laf wasn't sitting at home on ZoomGYM munching on doritos.

Or are we talking abt Kakko? I lose track of which underperforming top pick we are discussing sometimes, my apologies

 

[duhmetreE]

Ha! Something like this?:

Quinnypoo: ok guys, here's the game plan, listen well! TODAY WE"RE KEEPING IT TO THE OUTSIDE IN THE O ZONE, NO SHOTS FROM THE SLOT OR HIGH DANGER AREAS. IDEALLY YOU SHOULD OVERHANDLE THE PUCK ON THE PERIMETER UNTIL YOUR PASSING OPTIONS ARE GONE AND TURN IT OVER AT THE BLUE LINE. WE CAN DO THIS IF WE ALL PUT OUR MINDS TO IT. On 3, GO TEAM!

sounds like the PP as well. This is why in my opinion, it's not predominantly a player issue ( even though Zibs is has been ). This is the gameplan.

 

[romba]

sounds like the PP as well. This is why in my opinion, it's not predominantly a player issue ( even though Zibs is has been ). This is the gameplan.

Panarin made a huge difference on the PP. He's can thread passes with guys in the lane, he'll pass it between the body and stick of the defender at times, and it gets PK scrambling and rotating and opens up clean lanes for our lesser skilled 'everyone else'. Other guys can't pass it like Panarin so when he's out it just goes around the edge until they try a quick shot off a perimeter pass. Fox has intentions galore but at this stage he can't do it like Panarin does.

 

[rdhstlr23]

MacKinnon put up 53 pts in 82 games in his fourth season. 10 less than his rookie season.

Then he put up 97 pts in 74 games in his fifth season.

Sometimes players just need some time to figure it out. Calm down.

I'm also tired of people giving comparisons of modern day Centers vs modern day Wingers.

There are a host of examples like Nathan McKinnon. It seems it takes C to get going from a point perspective than W. Hell, look at JT Miller.

But, if you want to give me a good argument, then shoot over some wingers at me. Someone recently gave the example of Marian Hossa. That's a good one. That's 2 decades ago, but at least it wasn't someone telling me about a C that took awhile to adjust.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I’m so tired of the responses being “Watch the games!”

Listen. We all watch the f***ing the games. That’s why we are on here, because we are fans.

You want to cite his underlying numbers and his jump from YR1 to YR? Fair. You want to tell me about what you are - “the eye test”? Fair.

Those are all solid opinions. They’re opinions I don’t agree with, but if you still believe the pre-draft hype Kaapo Kakko is the guy we are getting, that’s fair. Talk to me about his age? Fair. Give him time.

BUT....don’t act like it’s a foregone conclusion that the star protection is coming. Too many examples of players that have all those things and simply can’t ever turn it into production.

People don’t have to give him 3 years, before having an opinion on what they feel he will be. There were opinions on what he was before he ever stepped on the ice for the Rangers. Just because it’s not a positive one, doesn’t mean it’s not right, or backed with solid points.

You're a f***ing broken record.

 

[True Blue]

"Oh but the gyms were closed!"

Yeah I'm sure this guy playing for the Roumiski Oceanic and New York Rangers had nowhere to work out.

Since the lockdowns started in Canada & the US? The answer is no. Lockdowns were for all and not some people.

 

[Synergy27]

Dude.

How the eff' is was he going to train since there were NO GYMS OPEN? As in ZERO? How was he going to skate when there were no rinks open? As in ZERO. Where the eff' were you finding an open gym back in April? Unless you are suggesting that Burke knew of underground gyms where athletes went?

You are championing a claim that if ludicrous by it's very nature. Name one friggin' gym or rink that was open? Kreider could not go to Prentiss but Lafreniere found some sort of gym and rink that no other NHL athlete was privy to? Really?

Dude.

I specifically said in my post that this isn't my claim. Like directly, right after stating that you continually cherry pick unimportant parts of my posts.

Regardless, as other have since chimed in, something tells me that Laf could probably access some training equipment in his spare time during COVID. This is all irrelevant to my point though.

My only point is that expecting this kid to score at a 50-60 point pace was and is not worthy of the crack pipe. This was the commonly held expectation for him by pundits and analysts far and wide.

 

[Machinehead]

Since the lockdowns started in Canada & the US? The answer is no. Lockdowns were for all and not some people.

Right, he just got sat around getting fat because Planet Fitness was closed. There were no other options.

 

[mas0764]

Right, he just got sat around getting fat because Planet Fitness was closed. There were no other options.

Presumably he had access to New York Rangers team facilities.

 

[Synergy27]

Since the lockdowns started in Canada & the US? The answer is no. Lockdowns were for all and not some people.

Here's another link, to again just close the loop on the irrelevant side topic you've chosen to hone in on:

Report: Lafreniere will report to his draft team’s camp, will not go to Europe

 

[True Blue]

Regardless, as other have since chimed in, something tells me that Laf could probably access some training equipment in his spare time during COVID. This is all irrelevant to my point though.

My only point is that expecting this kid to score at a 50-60 point pace was and is not worthy of the crack pipe. This was the commonly held expectation for him by pundits and analysts far and wide.

Following 10 months of not playing, it certainly was.

Here's another link, to again just close the loop on the irrelevant side topic you've chosen to hone in on:

Not sure what point you are trying to get to. It says that he plans on reporting in November. Which we all already knew.

 

[True Blue]

Right, he just got sat around getting fat because Planet Fitness was closed. There were no other options.

Yeah, Kreider could not work out with Prentis, but somehow Lafreniere got access to a secret gym. Of course.

 

[True Blue]

Presumably he had access to New York Rangers team facilities.

Not while they were shut down. The Rangers were not doing group workouts.

 

[Machinehead]

Yeah, Kreider could not work out with Prentis, but somehow Lafreniere got access to a secret gym. Of course.

Here's a f***in crazy thing: gonna blow your mind with this one. You can work out at home.

And with his connections, he probably hasn't had to pay for a single piece of equipment in years.