Player Discussion Kaapo Kakko

[FireGerardGallant]

They need to get him away from strome asap

 

[AIexisLafreniereNYR]

It’s crazy to think Kakko could have 80 points with Panarin and Zibanejad

 

[ijuka]

Well maybe when he starts carrying things at the NHL level he can have a bigger role

Does Pavel Buchnevich carry things at the NHL level...?

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Does Pavel Buchnevich carry things at the NHL level...?

Here’s the thing: Kakko has that potential, so he should figure out how to do it because it’s in the long term best interest for him and the team, even if it means his rookie season point totals aren’t all that amazing. Buchnevich doesn’t have that potential, but he can be a very good complimentary player, which is what he’s being asked to do by being put on that line

 

[2Leetch_94]

View attachment 260283

These were the warm up jerseys last night, and it seems all members of the team signed them with their nicknames. If you look closely, Kakko signed with “Kappy”.

That’s his nickname from now on, I don’t make the rules.

 

[JohnC]

Well maybe when he starts carrying things at the NHL level he can have a bigger role

Brace yourself for a long year of Finns opining on a hockey team they mostly know nothing about

It'll be like Zucc's Norwegians but worse

 

[007]

Brace yourself for a long year of Finns opining on a hockey team they mostly know nothing about

It'll be like Zucc's Norwegians but worse

Hey, we're custodians of a national treasure. Gotta be careful!

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Hey, we're custodians of a national treasure. Gotta be careful!

I think we all largely want the same thing, we’re just working from slightly different angles

 

[JohnC]

I think we all largely want the same thing, we’re just working from slightly different angles

Exactly. I'd imagine Kakk will supplant Buch as the 1RW before long. Am I ready to lose my mind and shit on Buch because of the first game of the season? No.

 

[CasusBelli]

Does Pavel Buchnevich carry things at the NHL level...?

He lacks the upper body strength to carry much.

 

[Thirty One]

Brace yourself for a long year of Finns opining on a hockey team they mostly know nothing about

It'll be like Zucc's Norwegians but worse

I don't get it. Finns have had lot of good hockey players. Act like you been there before, Finland.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Brace yourself for a long year of Finns opining on a hockey team they mostly know nothing about

It'll be like Zucc's Norwegians but worse

Yup

 

[Sayba]

Here’s the thing: Kakko has that potential, so he should figure out how to do it because it’s in the long term best interest for him and the team, even if it means his rookie season point totals aren’t all that amazing. Buchnevich doesn’t have that potential, but he can be a very good complimentary player, which is what he’s being asked to do by being put on that line

I hear what you're saying and it makes sense to an extent. But no player does it all himself, I'd like to see him get a chance with the top unit because I think it will help us win games. His skills are superior and usually you want to get your best unit out there.

 

[True Blue]

Brace yourself for a long year of Finns opining on a hockey team they mostly know nothing about

It'll be like Zucc's Norwegians but worse

Like the guy who came on to say that Kakko should immediately be moved to center to be groomed to be the eventual #1 center?

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

I hear what you're saying and it makes sense to an extent. But no player does it all himself, I'd like to see him get a chance with the top unit because I think it will help us win games. His skills are superior and usually you want to get your best unit out there.

His skills may be superior to Buchnevich, but skills are only one part of the whole picture. If he goes on the top line then he has to play against the top defensive units and he’s going to have less room to make mistakes. It sucks that his center is terrible right now, but this team was picking high enough to get Kakko for a reason.

As the season goes on, sure bump him up for a little while and see how he does, and based on what they did with some of the kids last year, that’ll probably happen again this year, but he’s still just an 18 year old in his first week of playing in the NHL and even though he’s a super prospect, he should still be eased into everything

 

[ijuka]

Like the guy who came on to say that Kakko should immediately be moved to center to be groomed to be the eventual #1 center?

Kakko's played center before and looked really good in Liiga in the ~4 games he played at C. If Rangers don't have a 2C there might be worse options around.

 

[True Blue]

Kakko's played center before and looked really good in Liiga in the ~4 games he played at C. If Rangers don't have a 2C there might be worse options around.

There is a world of difference between "playing center before" and actually, you know, being a center.

 

[ijuka]

There is a world of difference between "playing center before" and actually, you know, being a center.

Yeah but is the difference greater than that between "Ryan Strome" and "2C"? Shrug. I remember when Blake Wheeler played 2C and was extremely successful.

 

[tealhockey]

Yeah but is the difference greater than that between "Ryan Strome" and "2C"? Shrug. I remember when Blake Wheeler played 2C and was extremely successful.

This year seems like a wash for the Rags as is, why not? I've been thinking for a while he has upside at center... put him at C, give him a 20-30 game experiment, if he's serviceable they might have their 1C in a couple years. If Hughes can be an NHL center today with the idea being he's the man in a few years I don't see why that logic wouldn't work for Kakko.

 

[Peltz]

Someone needs to meme this onto Kakko’s head

 

[EdJovanovski]

I don’t think you take the highest draft pick in franchise history and play them at their not-natural position. I’d rather have him play the position he’s best at. If Chytil doesn’t end up being our 2C, I think Kravtsov would be a better option than Kakko. Kakko isn’t a puck carrying through the neutral zone guy, he does his damage in the offensive zone around the boards & top of circle

 

[Ori]

@JohnC mostly soccer in Norway - barely anyone who watch hockey here.
But @Ola wanted a center in that 2019 draft, because if Strome is going to carry our #2 line this season we can as well send Kakko down to wolves for development and wait for next top #center.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

This year seems like a wash for the Rags as is, why not? I've been thinking for a while he has upside at center... put him at C, give him a 20-30 game experiment, if he's serviceable they might have their 1C in a couple years. If Hughes can be an NHL center today with the idea being he's the man in a few years I don't see why that logic wouldn't work for Kakko.

Protip

Don’t say Rags

 

[tealhockey]

Protip

Don’t say Rags

Lol forgot where I was posting. I'll stop, apologies

 

[aufheben]

Asking Kakko to even be on the second line is already a big responsibility. He's a kid.

2C is an issue, but the expectations for Kakko should really be tempered. That's great that he has experience playing in a men's league but the NHL is a completely different animal. This season is going to be a learning process.