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Player Discussion Kaapo Kakko

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It's incredible how often you can even forget he's even on the ice. For a guy who was a tank on ice in Finland, spinning off checks, extremely hard to take the puck away from, and bullrushing his way to the net, he's seemingly neutralized very easily on the puck far too much. I guess that's the downside with a kid like this who is used to relying on overpowering his opponents instead of skating around them or setting up his teammates with vision and innate passing ability, or an elite shot. When he can't, you see what occurs, an underwhelming offensive talent.
 
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Hard to really make excuses for him anymore. He has been making a few good plays to create chances in the last few games but apart from that it's just lots of floating around.

Despite some progress from last season, I think his confidence, endurance, strength and skating is still lacking compared to the average NHLer. The talent will continue to be held back until he gets better in all of those areas
 
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ThirdEye said:
Hard to really make excuses for him anymore. He has been making a few good plays to create chances in the last few games but apart from that it's just lots of floating around.

Despite some progress from last season, I think his confidence, endurance, strength and skating is still lacking compared to the average NHLer. The talent will continue to be held back until he gets better in all of those areas
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I don't see him floating. I see him playing responsibly and too cautiously in order for him to really help in transition. He creates alot of turnovers and causes D men to audible on their breakouts. His defensive positioning all over the ice is really good. Now we need to figure out how to gain a balance so that he can be dangerous in the O zone. He has the skillset just not the instincts yet at the NHL level.
 
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DanielBrassard said:
It's incredible how often you can even forget he's even on the ice. For a guy who was a tank on ice in Finland, spinning off checks, extremely hard to take the puck away from, and bullrushing his way to the net, he's seemingly neutralized very easily on the puck far too much. I guess that's the downside with a kid like this who is used to relying on overpowering his opponents instead of skating around them or setting up his teammates with vision and innate passing ability, or an elite shot. When he can't, you see what occurs, an underwhelming offensive talent.
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The one thing that gives me some comfort - if you can call it that - is that both he and Lafreniere seem like turnover machines, the puck dies on their stick, they fall down, they just don't generate in the zone like you'd think.

So either we unluckily drafted two busts in a row, or, we just have to wait and it will come around.
 
Beyond the lack of production, I find it interesting that Laf and Kakko don’t seem to have much of a relationship. You would think two kids drafted at the top of their classes and billed the future of their franchise would be united in that way. Crosby and Malkin. Toews and Kane. Do these guys even talk to each other? I’ve seen zero reports about them training together, living together, nothing. I know Laf rooms with Miller. It’s just interesting to me I guess.
 
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will1066 said:
You've gotta wonder what the coaching staff knows that we armchair coaches don't. Because most of us see what you said. The line switch was ill-timed, but Gallant and his staff must be on to something to keep him with the top line.
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I think this is overblown by some people on here. We had a stretch where we played some awful teams and that's all that hot streak really was. Even a third line of Chytil and Goat were dominating those games and everyone here pretty much agrees that those two are the worst players ever, and even though they were snake bitten they looked damn near unstoppable whenever they took the ice in those stretch of games. I don't think Kakko had any real chemistry with Panarin or Strome but they were able to take advantage of the easy schedule we had at that time. Kakko still played great after getting moved to the Mika line until that stretch of playing bad teams finally ended.

Kakko doesn't have any chemistry with the centers on this team except for maybe Chytil. You would hope that as a consensus #2 OA pick he'd be more dynamic because of his skill level but it seems he'll need a center that caters to his style of play. Right now he's one of the few defensively responsible wingers the rangers have so he's been forced to the match up line where no one really seems to have any chemistry with each other. That line only looks good on the rush or when chaos breaks out and the player's individual skill level becomes more important to the play. They really have no structure and Kakko needs more structure for offense to happen with him. For all of Chytil's warts he's great with wingers that can cycle and hopefully the rangers can find a better Chytil to play with Kakko in the future.
 
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Let's refer back to this Vince article Rangers practice observations: Righty-heavy power play keeps producing and extrapolate it to the even strength play.

1) The guys on PP1 say they don't have set plays and rely on improvisation

2) It took a couple of years for these guys to get comfortable with each other

3) Panarin is an improvisational player in all situations, including even strength. Meanwhile, Strome heavily adapts his game to serve Panarin. While that's less of a situation for Zib and Kreider, they have their own issues 5v5. Kreider does not play heavy on the walls. Zib has evolved into more of a rush player.

Kakko and Laf likely have played in structured hockey for most of their lives. Kakko plays the cycle game. Laf is described as an elite grinder. Both of them are not conducive to flying up and down the ice all game on rush plays. They have to contend with different play styles of those vets. If it took the vets a couple years to get familiar with each other, then it's going to take Kakko and Laf maybe even longer. Or never. It's trying to mix oil with water.

Philosophically, do we want Kakko and Laf to become finesse rush players who make their living on transition play? That's not what they set out to be when they were picked by the team.

People said Chytil was dumb last night. After an atrocious first few minutes, I thought he did what he had to do playing with Panarin and Strome. Chytil can't even take of himself away from the puck as a centerman; now you think he can chase Panarin and Strome all night trying to guess what they want to do? Chytil played along the walls, drove straight up and down, went to the net, which is what Kakko did to be somewhat successful while he was on their line. Which is not unlike what Blackwell did to moderate success. Chytil even gave them a few great outlet passes on the rush.
 
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tomobson said:
I think this is overblown by some people on here. We had a stretch where we played some awful teams and that's all that hot streak really was. Even a third line of Chytil and Goat were dominating those games and everyone here pretty much agrees that those two are the worst players ever, and even though they were snake bitten they looked damn near unstoppable whenever they took the ice in those stretch of games. I don't think Kakko had any real chemistry with Panarin or Strome but they were able to take advantage of the easy schedule we had at that time. Kakko still played great after getting moved to the Mika line until that stretch of playing bad teams finally ended.

Kakko doesn't have any chemistry with the centers on this team except for maybe Chytil. You would hope that as a consensus #2 OA pick he'd be more dynamic because of his skill level but it seems he'll need a center that caters to his style of play. Right now he's one of the few defensively responsible wingers the rangers have so he's been forced to the match up line where no one really seems to have any chemistry with each other. That line only looks good on the rush or when chaos breaks out and the player's individual skill level becomes more important to the play. They really have no structure and Kakko needs more structure for offense to happen with him. For all of Chytil's warts he's great with wingers that can cycle and hopefully the rangers can find a better Chytil to play with Kakko in the future.
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I can't disagree with anything you said and if you read my post that follows yours, we're saying the same things differently. And from what you're saying, probably the Kid Line needs to be reunited.
 
Brian Hale said:
I don't see him floating. I see him playing responsibly and too cautiously in order for him to really help in transition. He creates alot of turnovers and causes D men to audible on their breakouts. His defensive positioning all over the ice is really good. Now we need to figure out how to gain a balance so that he can be dangerous in the O zone. He has the skillset just not the instincts yet at the NHL level.
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I've been one of his biggest excusers and I think this is shit. (No offense to you)

We've already seen him be that guy, at the NHL level. Not long ago we were all happy with how he was progressing and talking about a Selke future. He was doing tons of things in the offensive zone and taking some good steps, getting closer to the Kakko that was drafted, or at least a mature NHL version of himself that can produce and make his presence felt. For stretches early in the year, more than a handful of games, he was the Rangers best forward.

Regardless of the scoresheet result, he was playing with a purpose offensively.

Players find themselves in slumps but this is a real bad one right now, because of whats happening to his game. Can he recover? Sure. The effort is there but whats bothering me is the lack of WANT. He hasnt hurt the team defensively at all. Thats whats earned him the trust. But he's on the top scoring line and we need him to show he can do these things more often and not fall into a blackhole for several weeks. Not single games, WEEKS.

Honestly it shouldnt matter what line he is on and who hes with. The type of game he is capable of playing doesnt depend on or differ to his linemates. He needs to watch some old tape of himself and go out in a game and try to be that again, be selfish, go out and make a goal happen.
 
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will1066 said:
I can't disagree with anything you said and if you read my post that follows yours, we're saying the same things differently. And from what you're saying, probably the Kid Line needs to be reunited.
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I'm done with kid lines because they don't get the minutes they need. I'm fine with what's going on because I don't think the rangers have what they need to change things enough to make a difference right now. I rather Kakko just eat the minutes he's getting and maybe slowly he'll adapt better to being a more improvisational player than he is currently while still being a 200ft player. I know everyone wants to see Kakko lighting it up but I think he's in the best spot this team can put him in currently to develop him in the NHL. Next season they'll need to change things up if he's still struggling offensively.
 
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HockeyBasedNYC said:
I've been one of his biggest excusers and I think this is shit. (No offense to you)

We've already seen him be that guy, at the NHL level. Not long ago we were all happy with how he was progressing and talking about a Selke future. He was doing tons of things in the offensive zone and taking some good steps, getting closer to the Kakko that was drafted, or at least a mature NHL version of himself that can produce and make his presence felt. For stretches early in the year, more than a handful of games, he was the Rangers best forward.

Regardless of the scoresheet result, he was playing with a purpose offensively.

Players find themselves in slumps but this is a real bad one right now, because of whats happening to his game. Can he recover? Sure. The effort is there but whats bothering me is the lack of WANT. He hasnt hurt the team defensively at all. Thats whats earned him the trust. But he's on the top scoring line and we need him to show he can do these things more often and not fall into a blackhole for several weeks. Not single games, WEEKS.

Honestly it shouldnt matter what line he is on and who hes with. The type of game he is capable of playing doesnt depend on or differ to his linemates. He needs to watch some old tape of himself and go out in a game and try to be that again, be selfish, go out and make a goal happen.
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well said. funny enough, I feel the same way about almost every Rangers forward on the roster. the only time the 'stars' look like they both want to make a difference and assume that they can is on the PP.
 
Remember when we saw the photos of him hanging out and working out with Rantanen and seeing his joy and new bulk? Ready to dominate? Devastate?

Fun times.
 
Wondering why this thread hasn’t been bumped yet. What’s the injury? You think it’s the org feeling the pressure mounting on this kid and hoping to alleviate it a bit?
 
Synergy27 said:
Wondering why this thread hasn’t been bumped yet. What’s the injury? You think it’s the org feeling the pressure mounting on this kid and hoping to alleviate it a bit?
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He didn’t play much at all in the 2nd and 3rd against Carolina. Could be a nagging thing they didn’t want to risk. Or it could be the coaching staff quietly telling him they need more.

If he plays tomorrow, I’m leaning on it being the latter. If he doesn’t, I think it’s a legit injury.
 
MarkMessyay11 said:
He didn’t play much at all in the 2nd and 3rd against Carolina. Could be a nagging thing they didn’t want to risk. Or it could be the coaching staff quietly telling him they need more.

If he plays tomorrow, I’m leaning on it being the latter. If he doesn’t, I think it’s a legit injury.
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Gallant said its been an Upper body injury for a while.
Could be why we haven't seen alot from him right now, as he's struggling through it.
 
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As amazing as that first line played last night, the first period showed how important Kakko could be. They have 0 RW depth. After him there’s nothing, and it’s a huge hole in the lineup.
 
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