Player Discussion Kaapo Kakko: Part V

[IDvsEGO]

One in Finland and the other in the NHL. A small distinction.

But otherwise I agree more/less. Kakko’s hands, size, and puck-protection should make his skating ability superfluous. You do see shifts like that from him occasionally, but the passing or shooting to finish the plays is not there.

Kakko's skating ability feeds into his hands/size/puck protection.
He has absolutely elite edgework. That translates to him getting open with the puck and gaining space on defenders in dangerous areas.

His issue is his straight speed and acceleration. He now has NHL average speed at the top end, but he's not a burner nor does he have to be.

He's a very good passer I dont see how you can watch his game and think he doesn't see the ice well, or have the ability to thread a needle.
He needs to get a quicker release, but he's got a hard shot which is important in close.

 

[THE BIG WHISTLE]

Kakko has a very very good shot and they play so much alike. They both love to go to the boards and draw defenders and then start to drag them along while forcing them out of position

KK has a great shot but he rarely uses it, once he starts to think shot first, then he will start filling the net

 

[THE BIG WHISTLE]

Where is this very, very good shot you are referring to? His shot is below average for the NHL. It’s a big part of why he has no points right now. If his shot was better he would have finished a few of those glorious chances he’s generated.

He does have a great shot, he just never shoots

 

[CLW]

It's not the shot itself that's the problem, it's fast and accurate, if anything the problem is the shot selection and shooting against square goalies with time to track. Add a textbook shot selection and the goalies can do textbook saves. In the NHL you have to find soft spots in goalies when they are moving or have not yet tracked exactly what is happening, otherwise your chances to score go way down. The other night Matthews shot 8 times and scored on the last shot on a moving goalie, and he has a top release in the league.

Also I see Kakko take up position by the post, exactly where Kreider scores his deflection goals from. The difference is that Kakko doesn't get any pucks coming his way, which is kinda understandable since superstar Panarin is busy scoring or setting someone up to score.

 

[NickyFotiu]

Well, he had his nightly decent chance not go in.

It's becoming legit funny at this point so there's that.

When I was in college I used to shoot thinking just do not hot the post. Just do not hit the post. So obviously I hit 10 posts. These young guys just need confidence and experience. Once one goes in I would not be surprised at 3-4 more.

 

[avgard]

hello thread,....feeling angry when suddenly how information arrving at me reading like N J rosters and more. so...is this...this sweden player at...their 1st line...holz something......

so...there at other camping their.. 1st pick 1st/2nd rounder from draft . arrived there this season? already playing at 1st line despite they having better players in masses at bunch and like using maybe one of their best players in 4th lines of theirs as of segorangovich or similiars. and koukkanen other finmate of kakko playd at 3rd line. and these 2 like going upwards but still like in middle of growingseason they abruptly cut short.......... just taking up for examples how other camp try fitting in 1st/2nd rounders to team. and all this while kakko as every boty knowing is still top talent of MONUMEMTAL size. this thing with kakko like most likely a happening when team already for 2 years letting him getting use to playing really small amount of minites and benchwarming him . if he american/canadian he putted to 1st line first night here. i am not taking "see lafresque" comparings as i see him ass small grinder only. sorry. so...very frustrating and brutality in criminal when kakko developed 0 points to scoreboards jumbotrone syndrome after this. there is only one thing to do. playing 25-30 minite games night after night or he will not rising from this. they here a made him like this. he got other player looking like kids cryed took their candy and run with it easy away before he came here. but now.

see also how detroit letting raymonds playing 20 min game, including full PP at games. if they let him not play much and sending him to swedish league / AHL he propably never becoming NHL gamer after that treatment. you just ant having superstar comin in here and not letting him play from start. superstar of MONUMEMTAL size. REMEMBERING when he coming here and he sitting at bench teammate a putting up points at PPs. this eating him alive. year after year. then they smallered him by this and wonder why he not putting up points . and at home at alone dark apartment he see around league other small talant at other camp getting 1st line treatment with candyPP time also. predicting 0 points for kakko tonight also. suggesting around MANHATTAN angrywalk afterwards and dreaming of other team while at it and of BOXING

rangers choose poore. thank you

sir avgard hockeyprofessor

 

[Shesterkybomb]

I was told he would easily replace Blackwell and get 80 points if he played with Panarin because anyone can get points with Panarin.

 

[duhmetreE]

what worries me about Kakk0.... he does not have a killer instinct.

 

[NYRangers0723]

what worries me about Kakk0.... he does not have a killer instinct.

. Killer instinct? I mean come on lol

 

[UAGoalieGuy]

2G 1A game coming tonight

Pretty darn close.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Still time left

 

[The Crypto Guy]

KaKkO iS a BuSt

 

[UAGoalieGuy]

So technically I was right.

 

[FireGerardGallant]

 

[Synergy27]

 

[Bacon Artemi Bravo]

Monster game. Building block game I hope.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

20 points in the next 12

 

[nyr2k2]

20 points in the next 12

Easy there, Jovo.

 

[DanielBrassard]

That goal was reminiscent of last season, where he breaks up a play in the neutral zone, fights off a check, and gets a quality chance.

Need to see more of that.

 

[Row I Goon]

Hope he gets some swagger from this result

 

[Crease]

Great game for the kid. He looked electric after the assist.

 

[duhmetreE]

Monster game. Building block game I hope.

We can only hope. Would love to see him attack like that far more often.

 

[will1066]

He finally seems comfortable playing with Strome and Panarin. Or is it the other way around?

 

[Levitate]

He finally seems comfortable playing with Strome and Panarin. Or is it the other way around?

with all the stuff Panarin said about needing to change his game a bit, that's also the kind of stuff that will help incorporate Kakko's ability into that line more...

Also I think he actually has a pretty quick and surprising first burst of speed with his skating. He gets in on pucks in the corner, and guys on the forecheck, and surprises them a lot. His neutral zone/transition/puck carrying speed isn't a strength but basically when he attacks the puck he's very very effective

 

[IronBloodedLion]

That might’ve been his best game of his NHL career. He was electric.

I also noticed as the game went on Panarin and Strome started looking to get him the puck. They’re starting to trust him.