Player Discussion Kaapo Kakko

[DialUp]

@vzmercogliano: "I fully expect him to be back for the playoffs," GG said on Kakko. Said they're hoping he can play the final 2-3 regular season games.

I'm sure some are understandably skeptical, but it sounds like there's not any serious damage. #NYR

 

[McSauer]

Yeah probably, but what's that got to do with me being frustrated about our situation? Also how do you know Kakko or Blais wouldn't of made a significant impact? Hence the frustration dude.

I mean Blais = Hunt, but more injury prone; nothing more than bottom line grit. Soo not seeing what we're missing here...

 

[Dr. Ogrodnick]

not if he gets offer sheeted.

Lol, i don't think the Rangers have to worry there.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

How many times has this kid been injured now since getting drafted?

11/14/2019: Flu (6 days)
12/22/2019: LBI (5 days)
02/01/2021: COVID (10 days)
01/22/2022: Wrist surgery (74 days)
4/16/2022: LBI

 

[Peltz]

I mean Blais = Hunt, but more injury prone; nothing more than bottom line grit. Soo not seeing what we're missing here...

He possibly had better upside than Hunt. He certainly flashed some better hands in the offensive zone in his limited time on the team. Ultimately, Hunt is playing that same role, yes. But Blais was a spot ahead of him in the depth chart.

 

[bhamill]

He possibly had better upside than Hunt. He certainly flashed some better hands in the offensive zone in his limited time on the team. Ultimately, Hunt is playing that same role, yes. But Blais was a spot ahead of him in the depth chart.

Yeah, Blais showed WAY more than Hunt, albeit in limited time, I don't think that's a good comparison at all.

 

[IDvsEGO]

Yeah, Blais showed WAY more than Hunt, albeit in limited time, I don't think that's a good comparison at all.

Hunt is a 4th / healthy scratch guy.
Blais is a middle 6 guy in my opinion, he can play on the fourth but he’s really a very good heavy option in the middle 6.

 

[Miamipuck]

Blais has more skill than Hunt.


I know people don't want to hear this because they somehow think he's not an NHL player: Hunt is a good 4th liner. It's not his fault he was slotted way too high in the lineup pre deadline.

 

[Anthony5967]

Oh my God. Blais is a much better player than people remember. Hunt? Hunt's game is perfect for the fourth line. I'd have no troubles putting Blais in the middle-six.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

This is so frustrating

 

[EdJovanovski]

Oh my God. Blais is a much better player than people remember. Hunt? Hunt's game is perfect for the fourth line. I'd have no troubles putting Blais in the middle-six.

Did the Buch trade trick people into thinking he was a good offensive player or something lol. His career high is 15pts.

 

[Kravtsov420]

I’m genuinely worried for his future. And not cause he’s not good, but the patience factor

 

[EdJovanovski]

He possibly had better upside than Hunt. He certainly flashed some better hands in the offensive zone in his limited time on the team. Ultimately, Hunt is playing that same role, yes. But Blais was a spot ahead of him in the depth chart.

I like how Blais plays but he doesn’t have much upside, yea he has decent hands but Hunt also has some impressive attributes. Hunts has legit top 20 Mohawks in the NHL. He has elite edges

 

[Rongomania]

Clearly a precautionary hold out. Hope he beasts out in the PO's.

And the wrist injury, I would put that more on the training staff unfortunately. He was playing through an injury and it got worse. That seems like one tough kid, not a soft, injury prone one.

 

[NickyFotiu]

Did the Buch trade trick people into thinking he was a good offensive player or something lol. His career high is 15pts.

15 points in 36 games compares how to Kravstov?

 

[EdJovanovski]

15 points in 36 games compares how to Kravstov?

He was much older than the chosen one when he put up those numbers lol, you think Blais has a higher ceiling than Kravtsov?

 

[bhamill]

Did the Buch trade trick people into thinking he was a good offensive player or something lol. His career high is 15pts.

More like the "sad over Buchnevich" crowd downplaying him to make it a worse trade than it is because they are still mad at Drury.
Yeah 15 points was his high... in 36 games. With over 100 hits. Context matters, amirite?
So .4 points and 3 hits per game is a 4th liner?
Nobody said he was a "good offensive player," though his best season would have been 34 points over 82 games as a 24 year old, just that Hunt was not a comparable. Now saying he has yet to PROVE anything over a full season is fair, but that still doesn't make him equivalent to Hunt. Hahaha.

 

[bhamill]

He was much older than the chosen one when he put up those numbers lol, you think Blais has a higher ceiling than Kravtsov?

In his D+3 Blais had 3 points in 11 NHL games.
In his D+3 Kravtsov had 4 points in 20 games.
Hopefully Krav has a spectacular D+5. But Blais also has a game that goes beyond his point totals.

 

[EdJovanovski]

In his D+3 Blais had 3 points in 11 NHL games.
In his D+3 Kravtsov had 4 points in 20 games.
Hopefully Krav has a spectacular D+5. But Blais also has a game that goes beyond his point totals.

And Kravtsov has a game that goes beyond hockey itself

 

[bhamill]

And Kravtsov has a game that goes beyond hockey itself

That goes without saying!
My real point here is that Hunt is a poor comparable for Blais. I'm not crazy enough to put Blais and Krav on the same level. Hahaha.

 

[NickyFotiu]

He was much older than the chosen one when he put up those numbers lol, you think Blais has a higher ceiling than Kravtsov?

Blais is only 25 now so at most he was 24 then. I did not say he had a higher ceiling than Krav. That is your claim not mine. I have no idea if Krav even has any NHL ceiling since he left the USA and we have not heard anything about him coming back.

 

[EdJovanovski]

Blais is only 25 now so at most he was 24 then. I did not say he had a higher ceiling than Krav. That is your claim not mine. I have no idea if Krav even has any NHL ceiling since he left the USA and we have not heard anything about him coming back.

We have heard! Get excited

Vitali Kravtsov won’t join Rangers for playoff run as future plans are made

Vitali Kravtsov will not be joining the Blueshirts for their playoff run, The Post has learned, but the two sides have reached an agreement about his near-term future.

nypost.com

 

[Mikachu93]

Yea people are misremembering Blais.

Injury prone for sure, but he would put up 35-40 points and play a solid all around physical game over a full 82.

I would be shocked if he and Goodrow weren't making up 2/3 of next year's 3rd line.

 

[mas0764]

Hunt is a 4th / healthy scratch guy.
Blais is a middle 6 guy in my opinion, he can play on the fourth but he’s really a very good heavy option in the middle 6.

Blais is not a middle sixer. He's a bottom sixer. He's average on the third line and a plus on the fourth line. If he's on your second line something is very wrong.

Hunt is a scratch/AHLer though, so it's accurate to say that Blais is better than Hunt.

 

[mas0764]

Yea people are misremembering Blais.

Injury prone for sure, but he would put up 35-40 points and play a solid all around physical game over a full 82.

I would be shocked if he and Goodrow weren't making up 2/3 of next year's 3rd line.

He was pacing for 23 points this year, not 35-40, and putting him on a line with Goodrow is a sure fire way to guarantee that he doesn't exceed that pace next year.