egelband
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- Sep 6, 2008
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In hindsight, I think they should have left him in Finland for a year. Either way, I agree KK doesn’t owe the rangers anything.
Player Discussion Kaapo Kakko
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bbny
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- Apr 12, 2019
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If I were a GM of another team with enough cap space, I'd be making the offer to Kakko. I'm not even sold on him, but I'd give up a 2nd round pick to take a chance on him for a 1 year $4.2M offer sheet any day. And if I were Kakko I'd be taking it, assuming there's plenty more opportunity (i.e., PP1, 18-19 min a night, etc).
The Crypto Guy
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- Jun 26, 2017
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Rangers would match that in a heartbeat. Then figure the cap out after.
EdJovanovski
#FreeRempe
The guy started his very first NHL game in the top 6 & on PP1 lol. 3 years ago, finished his ELC with a career high of 23pts (set in his rookie season). Every season he's started back on the top 6 and plays himself off of it.
its possible but id be surprised if he got offer sheeted by someone to take advantage of their current cap situation. theres more or less a gentlemens agreement that most teams wont challenge. then theres that drury is cold enough but sather is still lurking and that is one vindictive sob.
bleedblue94
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- Jun 8, 2004
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The only kovalev that kakko compares to is the 52 year old version.
What revisionist history that kakko looked great with strome and panarin, the wonder twins refused to pass him the puck and when they did he constantly flobbed his shots. They preferred playing with 4th line scrubs. Kakko looked out of place with them and wouldn't have even gotten the opportunities he did if not for his draft position.
As someone else said every year kakko started on the top 6 and played his way out of it
Also, people complaining about the coaching staff playing laf down the lineup as a rookie and asking him to the learn the pro 2 way game after having development years affected by covid and then somehow suggesting that's bad is laughable. Kid was a disaster in his own end when he came in and looked over matched by the speed of the game. Two years later he looks ready to bust out at the NHL level yet somehow it's always the coaches were holding him back or messed him up rather than the coaches helped bring him along and develop him. Lot of people here that got cut from teams that just want to blame their old coach instead of looking in the mirror. Furthermore no coach is breaking up a pp that worked as well as our just to forcefeed a kid into the top 5. If you do that and the pp lags then all eyes/blame shift to the kid. That's why it's a stupid idea.
There are very few elite players that step in post draft and make a true impact right away, most need time to adjust and develop. Even a guy like MCD needed to learn the pro d game, it's just his offense was so good no one could even try to hold him back. Laf isn't that level (and it's fine) but his complete game has come miles and it's helped his offense. Kid is right on track.
What revisionist history that kakko looked great with strome and panarin, the wonder twins refused to pass him the puck and when they did he constantly flobbed his shots. They preferred playing with 4th line scrubs. Kakko looked out of place with them and wouldn't have even gotten the opportunities he did if not for his draft position.
As someone else said every year kakko started on the top 6 and played his way out of it
Also, people complaining about the coaching staff playing laf down the lineup as a rookie and asking him to the learn the pro 2 way game after having development years affected by covid and then somehow suggesting that's bad is laughable. Kid was a disaster in his own end when he came in and looked over matched by the speed of the game. Two years later he looks ready to bust out at the NHL level yet somehow it's always the coaches were holding him back or messed him up rather than the coaches helped bring him along and develop him. Lot of people here that got cut from teams that just want to blame their old coach instead of looking in the mirror. Furthermore no coach is breaking up a pp that worked as well as our just to forcefeed a kid into the top 5. If you do that and the pp lags then all eyes/blame shift to the kid. That's why it's a stupid idea.
There are very few elite players that step in post draft and make a true impact right away, most need time to adjust and develop. Even a guy like MCD needed to learn the pro d game, it's just his offense was so good no one could even try to hold him back. Laf isn't that level (and it's fine) but his complete game has come miles and it's helped his offense. Kid is right on track.
Except it is not really an "opportunity" if you know it doesn't work. If you know it doesn't work, but you still do it, you are being stupid. Many of us said before the season started that Gallant was making a big mistake playing Kakko with the footsie twins. We knew from the Quinn days it was never a good fit. Therefore it is not an "opportunity" unless you totally disregard context.
That's why I suggested playing Hunt in the "Fast role" (Quinn) there during that awful West coast run at the start of last season. I would probably have suggested Kravtsov, but Kravtsov was in Russia having bailed out/or was bullied out (we don't really know).
Someone called Drury "nimble of foot" for the way he fixed his Nemeth mistake. Next season, can Drury be nimble enough to fix the dreadful 5v5 system, and stop Gallant from square pegging people BEFORE he does obvious mistakes? How about looking for lines with chemistry and fit rather than coaching on clichés ("opportunity")?
Eg:
1. Panarin - Zib - Laf
2. Kreider - Chytil - Kakko
Line 2 is a monster cycle line.
Line 1 would be disjointed.
On paper line 1 looks like a reverse Kane/Cat copycat line, but from experience Panarin doesn't last three shifts next to Zib 5v5 before he bails, they don't fit. We saw Kreider - Zib - Laf last season at times, ok-ish but not great. Kreider-Zib suffers from footsie syndrome with Kreider skating in empty circles looking to spring Zib. Not as markedly as Panarin - Strome but it's there.
A year ago Gallant came in and 1. "wasn't going to change much from Quinn's system" 2. Square-pegged Kakko from day one.
Now's the time to fix such mistakes. Fix the system, find balanced lines (not footsie-duo's) and stop square-pegging people.
That's why I suggested playing Hunt in the "Fast role" (Quinn) there during that awful West coast run at the start of last season. I would probably have suggested Kravtsov, but Kravtsov was in Russia having bailed out/or was bullied out (we don't really know).
Someone called Drury "nimble of foot" for the way he fixed his Nemeth mistake. Next season, can Drury be nimble enough to fix the dreadful 5v5 system, and stop Gallant from square pegging people BEFORE he does obvious mistakes? How about looking for lines with chemistry and fit rather than coaching on clichés ("opportunity")?
Eg:
1. Panarin - Zib - Laf
2. Kreider - Chytil - Kakko
Line 2 is a monster cycle line.
Line 1 would be disjointed.
On paper line 1 looks like a reverse Kane/Cat copycat line, but from experience Panarin doesn't last three shifts next to Zib 5v5 before he bails, they don't fit. We saw Kreider - Zib - Laf last season at times, ok-ish but not great. Kreider-Zib suffers from footsie syndrome with Kreider skating in empty circles looking to spring Zib. Not as markedly as Panarin - Strome but it's there.
A year ago Gallant came in and 1. "wasn't going to change much from Quinn's system" 2. Square-pegged Kakko from day one.
Now's the time to fix such mistakes. Fix the system, find balanced lines (not footsie-duo's) and stop square-pegging people.
LOFIN
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- Sep 16, 2011
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Finland, nah. The AHL? Probably yes. Kakko had just dominated Liiga and playerd great against men in the World Championships. There was nothing back in Finland for him personally. The NHL still was too great of a step. Should've acclimated to NA-hockey in the AHL. Learned the language, learn the culture, learn the different style of play. Did a lot of good for Mikko Rantanen that.
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irishlaxburger2
Registered User
The reality is you need to give 18/19 year old wunderkinds either a super long (perhaps to an unfair degree to their teammates) leash or not rush them to the NHL. You have to give them top 6 minutes and PP time regardless of how they’re actually playing and allow them to play through their slumps instead of treating them like any other grinder/journeyman and drop them to the bottom 6 if things don’t go immediately well. It may sound illogical, but it’s a long-term investment mentality vs a short-term “win now” one. And this is where the Rangers getting fortunate to land the 2nd and 1st overall picks put them in a conundrum. They wanted the marketability of the top picks immediately playing in the NHL and saw their Draft fortune as a major means of speeding up their rebuild, but did the expectations of the team quickly turning a corner come at the expense of someone like Kakko?
Do I think he’s the talent he was billed as coming into the Draft? No, I do not. But I also think that’s partly due to being a kid who isn’t illogically confident. When he’s demoted or benched constantly - which has been a theme of his career regardless of coaching staff - it’s constant shots at a confidence level that already isn’t supreme. This is a kid that needs to be treated like Hughes has been in NJ. Just give him full reign to play through rough stretches regardless of team success. He would be a perfect fit in a place like Chicago right now. And I think you’d see him turn into a 60+ point player there in short order. I’m just not sure he’ll truly get the shot to be that player here, because Gallant is expected to win now. His first three years, he should’ve been given a much, much longer leash. But now with this team being a true contender, it’s too late now.
Do I think he’s the talent he was billed as coming into the Draft? No, I do not. But I also think that’s partly due to being a kid who isn’t illogically confident. When he’s demoted or benched constantly - which has been a theme of his career regardless of coaching staff - it’s constant shots at a confidence level that already isn’t supreme. This is a kid that needs to be treated like Hughes has been in NJ. Just give him full reign to play through rough stretches regardless of team success. He would be a perfect fit in a place like Chicago right now. And I think you’d see him turn into a 60+ point player there in short order. I’m just not sure he’ll truly get the shot to be that player here, because Gallant is expected to win now. His first three years, he should’ve been given a much, much longer leash. But now with this team being a true contender, it’s too late now.
UnSandvich
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- Sep 7, 2017
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To say Kakko played his way out of the Top 6 this year is more than a little bit disingenuous. "Kakko got hurt, and was never given a proper chance in the Top 6 once he was fully healthy post-injury" is rather closer to the truth. As is he probably came back early, and it showed. He didn't really look healthy til the playoffs.
Also Kreider-Zibanejad-Laf was one of our better 5v5 lines this year, not sure why people are saying otherwise.
Also Kreider-Zibanejad-Laf was one of our better 5v5 lines this year, not sure why people are saying otherwise.
Synergy27
F-A-C-G-C-E
Keep the kid line together and give them similar ES ice time to Zib and Panarin.
Kravtsov = Buchnevich for the Zib line.
Blais >> Hunt for the new Panarin line.
Kid line +++ growth =
f*** the fourth line. Just make those guys PK so the other guys can rest and don’t get hurt.
Kravtsov = Buchnevich for the Zib line.
Blais >> Hunt for the new Panarin line.
Kid line +++ growth =
f*** the fourth line. Just make those guys PK so the other guys can rest and don’t get hurt.
Thats sort of how im feeling. Ride the top 3 lines and make the 4th line your penalty killers with a couple regular shifts here and there.Keep the kid line together and give them similar ES ice time to Zib and Panarin.
Kravtsov = Buchnevich for the Zib line.
Blais >> Hunt for the new Panarin line.
Kid line +++ growth =
f*** the fourth line. Just make those guys PK so the other guys can rest and don’t get hurt.
Gr8CornHolio
Registered User
- Feb 20, 2020
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Keep the kid line together and give them similar ES ice time to Zib and Panarin.
Kravtsov = Buchnevich for the Zib line.
Blais >> Hunt for the new Panarin line.
Kid line +++ growth =
f*** the fourth line. Just make those guys PK so the other guys can rest and don’t get hurt.
Big fan of this idea. Or at worst keep Laf and Chytil on 3rd line.
Most of the responses to this will be “but but but too 6 laf”
Bottom line if you keep Laf on the 3rd line and put him at pp1 he will end up with top 6 mins.
Even if you put kakko on Zib line, and Krav with panarin (keep the Russians together for communication purposes). They will get more minutes as well.
With the method you propose all of our young guys except Chytil see more playing time. Love it
Lays
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- Jan 22, 2017
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Chytil and Kakko need to stay together imo. Both have legit chemistry with each other and a lot of that comes from being able to talk to one another like peers.
Kakko can’t tell Panarin what to do or how he wants him to play with him. Same with Chytil. Kakko and Chytil are already friends so it makes it easy for them to communicate on and off the ice about how they want to play.
When Kakko is with Panarin and Mika he has to adapt to their style of game and differ to them because they’re very clearly better, and that hurts his confidence with the puck. He can’t fully do what he wants out there because Mika/Panarin likely want him to play as a compliment to them. Keep Kakko and Chytil together for a full season and you will see serious growth in both their games.
Duos are known to elevate one another. We had two duos in Kreider-Mika and Panarin-Strome. After Mika broke out, Kreider slowly started to break out with him. Same with Strome when Panarin came over and they clicked instantly, Strome took his game to the next level. Kakko and Chytil will slowly feed off of one another and learn together what it takes to succeed in the league, then you can talk about Kakko moving up
Kreider-Mika
Panarin-Trocheck
Chytil-Kakko
Should already be set in stone
Kakko can’t tell Panarin what to do or how he wants him to play with him. Same with Chytil. Kakko and Chytil are already friends so it makes it easy for them to communicate on and off the ice about how they want to play.
When Kakko is with Panarin and Mika he has to adapt to their style of game and differ to them because they’re very clearly better, and that hurts his confidence with the puck. He can’t fully do what he wants out there because Mika/Panarin likely want him to play as a compliment to them. Keep Kakko and Chytil together for a full season and you will see serious growth in both their games.
Duos are known to elevate one another. We had two duos in Kreider-Mika and Panarin-Strome. After Mika broke out, Kreider slowly started to break out with him. Same with Strome when Panarin came over and they clicked instantly, Strome took his game to the next level. Kakko and Chytil will slowly feed off of one another and learn together what it takes to succeed in the league, then you can talk about Kakko moving up
Kreider-Mika
Panarin-Trocheck
Chytil-Kakko
Should already be set in stone
Yeah, let's take our 2 best 5 on 5 players and reduce their minutes to give more to the kid line.Keep the kid line together and give them similar ES ice time to Zib and Panarin.
Kravtsov = Buchnevich for the Zib line.
Blais >> Hunt for the new Panarin line.
Kid line +++ growth =
f*** the fourth line. Just make those guys PK so the other guys can rest and don’t get hurt.
Rongomania
Registered User
A good thing to look at are all of the kid line goals in the PO's. The most common denominator was Kakko constantly busting his ass down low and clearly taking another step in his game (as did the other two). Laf and Chytil looked not so great when played without him. And this was also with Kakko having some of the worst luck I've ever seen a 21 year old have in the playoffs: The bullshit goalie interference call against Pitt, the missed open nets which would've sealed the deal in Carolina.
The kid is going to be fine and I am so psyched after seeing him have such a great playoffs compared to what people thought he was before the playoffs started.
My favorite negative Kakko bullshit before the Po's was 'are the assists never going to come'. He was easily one of the best passers on the team the entire Po's. That doesn't get talked about enough on here.
The kid is going to be fine and I am so psyched after seeing him have such a great playoffs compared to what people thought he was before the playoffs started.
My favorite negative Kakko bullshit before the Po's was 'are the assists never going to come'. He was easily one of the best passers on the team the entire Po's. That doesn't get talked about enough on here.
EdJovanovski
#FreeRempe
The cope lol, at this point I think when this guys 34 years old people are still gonna say he’s gonna breakout any minute, he’s just a late bloomer. When Krav outscores him this season what will the excuse be? That Krav was given more opportunity lol?
irishlaxburger2
Registered User
Krav becoming Gallant’s new whipping boy might be the best thing for Kakko
haveandare
Registered User
Lol like Kravstov running back to the KHL the 5 th time because someone looked at him funny and you’ll be saying he’s going to put up 200 points next season
LOFIN
Registered User
- Sep 16, 2011
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It will be interesting either way. If Kravtsov breaks through, that makes Kakko expendable and he would probably break out in another organization. If he fails, it's going to be another name in the list of forwards the Rangers have failed to develop. And the HfBoards would crash permanently from the angst by @EdJovanovski
I hope both of the kids make the jump. But one of them is going to be gone in the next two years anyway because of the cap.
I hope both of the kids make the jump. But one of them is going to be gone in the next two years anyway because of the cap.
Rongomania
Registered User
They are two entirely different players. And Krav is way more of a disappointment, he's what, 23 and has proven far less than Kakko in the NHL. And again, I like all of the kids, I'm not out here shitting on any of them.
KevinFinnerty
I bomb atomically...
I've lost faith in Kakko, terrible skater and terrible shooter
EdJovanovski
#FreeRempe
He's 22, Kakko is 21. Do you really think if Kravtsov was stapled to the top 6 & PP to start each season he would score as little as Kakko? Go back and read the GDT's of those 20 games when Krav was almost exclusively on the 4th line with Rooney & Howden, he was being voted one of the 3 stars nearly every game and everyone was saying how they wished Kakko looked like that. There is some serious revisionist history because people were mad at him.
The very first shift after Krav's first NHL goal he came out there and pulled off his signature between the legs deke around the defender, he has that swagger, the confidence, the skating of all the other young studs we envy around the league.
Rongomania
Registered User
Krav is 14 months older and showed some great stuff for twenty games. Kakko just did that for 20 playoff games. Krav ran away and turned his back on this team. He's lucky we're giving him another chance. You don't think Kakko could've got tired of the treatment by two different coaches and bolted as well? I'm certain a KHL team would've gladly handed him a contract. He stuck it out and that's why it will be Kakko starting in the top six this year , not Krav.
Again, I like Krav and hope he blooms here. It would be a glorious problem to have.
NickyFotiu
NYR 2024 Cup Champs!
- Sep 29, 2011
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Most NHL GMs do not want to go that route. There are a few exceptions but most GMs would rather not make waves via offer sheets. I'm actually surprised how much some beat writers and some fans spoke about them because they really are so unlikely.
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