Player Discussion Kaapo Kakko

[Machinehead]

It is an indicator of past success. It's not an indicator of future success.

Zibanejad's line scored 0 goals against Barkov's line in the playoffs.
Barkov's line scored 0 goals against Zibanejad's line in the playoffs.

Barkov's line completely controlled the play against them but the actual impact on the scoreboard was zero.

Actual impact on the scoreboard is goaltending.

 

[Rongomania]

For the umpteenth time...

No one here wants Kakko to fail.
We all want him to succeed.

The difference is that some of us want to bet/waste another year of prime Fox, Panarin and Shesterkin on Kakko taking a significant step.

I hope Kakko has it in him. But let's have a hard talk. He has had three coaches, each of whom have tried and failed to get him going. And even decided the team was better with a healthy Kakko sitting out.

Preseason is preseason. It doesn't mean anything. That said, Kakko looks lost out there. Will he pick up his game when the games matter like Laf did last year? I have significant doubts, and I don't think betting on Kakko is a smart move this season.

All I’ve seen from you and others is pure negativity, this is a great response and I appreciate ya bro.

If Kak can break out I firmly believe we are the team to beat (obviously if the rest of the team remains the same or with very, very little regression).

If he blows it, we’re getting a shit return unless he’s packaged with Lindgrens broken ass for a respectable D. I’m not enthused about that potential trade at all.

 

[mas0764]

Apparently Kakko has had a good camp.

 

[Profet]

Apparently Kakko has had a good camp.

So I have this bridge in Brooklyn. It's in great condition, I just have other priorities at the moment.
I can let it go for a song. Best purchase you'll ever make.

 

[TomBlizzy12]

Kakko is very good at defending and protecting the puck, but the only bad part is he moves like a lifted Ford Excursion

 

[Peltz]

I like Reilly Smith 3 years ago. I'm sure he'll fit in, but I would've rather spent that cap space elsewhere when we have 2 young 1st round picks that need to play up there to either show they can/can't do it in Kakko's case or to develop in Othmann's case.

I think it makes sense when you consider how deadline acquisitions for that spot haven't been good either. They'll potentially give up a lot at the deadline for very little proven chemistry, even if it's a big name like Kane or Tarasenko.

With Smith, you at least give that line the ability to build some chemistry through a camp at few dozen games in the beginning of the season before you need to consider changes. At a low cap hit, that could be a smart move. You could always swap him with another player later on if it doesn't work out.

But that line needs to produce at even strength during the regular season if they are going to make any actual noise in the playoffs. If Zib and Kreider are ever going to be productive 5v5 again, especially in a deep round of the playoffs, it's not going to be because the rotating cast on RW suddenly clicks with a new player in March.

Neither Othman or Kakko have shown they're the guys yet, and this core has a win-now mentality for this year before they start selling off guys.

But I don't see it as a bad thing to have some depth on RW and force one of those two to earn a top 6 role or be a backup in case Laf or Smith get injured.

Having some flexibility to figure things out on RW in October is a hell of a lot better than not having any flexibility in March and needing to spend to acquire depth.

TLDR - They got Smith because they need depth on RW and didn't have it until now.

 

[GlasgowNewYorkRanger]

The team was good enough to win last year. Just because they didn't win doesn't mean they couldn't have won. Why would you make major changes to a team that won the President's trophy? It doesn't make sense. This isn't chess. The best (or one of the) does not always win. Even right now no team is projected to have better than like an 11% chance to win the Stanley Cup. If you go off the theory that the season is a failure if you didn't win the Cup then all you're doing is making your decisions based on fortune because every team is more likely to lose than win.

I've never thought this core was good enough to win a Championship, and I remain to be convinced as such. Not helped by the coaches penchant for shoving Trouba out there in critical situations and shoving minutes down his throat.

This teams lack of success 5 on 5 is also a majorly huge factor in us not being able to get over the hump.

Kakko and Laf turning into the players they were supposed to be would have been huge for this team and exactly what we needed in order to do the aforementioned. Keeping Fil fit and making that C depth so much more dangerous as well. We have a talented team whose star players tend to go missing in the PO's and we rely on spectacular goaltending. I mean, this team has far more skill than other teams we have seen down the years, but I am sure we have all read this same script for the past twenty five years or so.

 

[NickyFotiu]

Really looking like Kakko is going to be the odd man out unless he has a monster first 10 games. Othmann looks good and deserves a shot. The Reilly Smith trade makes less and less sense. You knew Othmann was going to be knocking on the door, why give the spot away to a declining vet when it's something you could've addressed at the deadline if Othmann/Kakko didn't work out in that spot. It's not like that spot being given to those 2 was ever going to be the reason we do or don't make the playoffs.

I like Reilly Smith 3 years ago. I'm sure he'll fit in, but I would've rather spent that cap space elsewhere when we have 2 young 1st round picks that need to play up there to either show they can/can't do it in Kakko's case or to develop in Othmann's case.

Don't get it.

Only thing I can foresee would be to have a 3rd line of Othmann-Chytil-Kakko and drop Cuylle to the 4th line. Othmann has to make the team, straight up. If I were him I'd be demanding a trade the minute the news broke that he's going back down.

We will play the best players. As Chris Kreider said years ago they play to win. If KK or Oth are good enough for the first line they will play there and Smith will move down or be traded. Its may still be a long way though before Oth or KK show that they are first line capable players.

 

[Peltz]

We will play the best players. As Chris Kreider said years ago they play to win. If KK or Oth are good enough for the first line they will play there and Smith will move down or be traded. Its may still be a long way though before Oth or KK show that they are first line capable players.

That's a more concise and intelligent way of saying what I was trying to articulate. Thank you.

 

[noncents]

We will play the best players. As Chris Kreider said years ago they play to win. If KK or Oth are good enough for the first line they will play there and Smith will move down or be traded. Its may still be a long way though before Oth or KK show that they are first line capable players.

we definitely don't play the best players. Jones last year, Rempe during playoffs, Bonino during the regular season.

that's just last year. I know you're a "coach knows best" guy but they make wrong decisions all the time.

 

[Levitate]

Kakko should just fire the puck at the net all the time even if it's not going in at first. What else has he got to lose when it comes to trying to make his offense work? Just rip it.

 

[NickyFotiu]

we definitely don't play the best players. Jones last year, Rempe during playoffs, Bonino during the regular season.

that's just last year. I know you're a "coach knows best" guy but they make wrong decisions all the time.

You are entitled to your opinion but coaches aren't going to purposely play guys that they think will lose them games if they think they have clear better optiond. The 3 guys you named were two borderline 4th line guys and a 6th or 7th Dman. What was the NYR team record last season? What was the NYR record with Rempe playing?

 

[Kocur Dill]

Here me out.

Kid plays his zones well. Great stick handling. Great passes, some real doozies too. Ability to break up plays and counter attack.

Knocks, average speed, can't hit the net.

Can we teach this kid how to win a faceoff and put him at Center?

Get him a couple speedy wingers who are shooters?

 

[noncents]

You are entitled to your opinion but coaches aren't going to purposely play guys that they think will lose them games if they think they have clear better optiond. The 3 guys you named were two borderline 4th line guys and a 6th or 7th Dman. What was the NYR team record last season? What was the NYR record with Rempe playing?

bonino played 3C for like 35 games.

the problem with what you're arguing is that it's completely circular. you have an assumption (coach is always right) and then every answer ties back in. you brook no challenge to that assumption.

you point to results, but there's no nuance. you're telling me that the results of all of those games was equally dependent on each roster later? that if you had substituted different players for bonino and rempe, wins would have automatically become losses?

what about for the loss to florida? does the coach bear any share of the blame there?

are you a lifelong military service member, by any chance?

 

[NickyFotiu]

bonino played 3C for like 35 games.

the problem with what you're arguing is that it's completely circular. you have an assumption (coach is always right) and then every answer ties back in. you brook no challenge to that assumption.

you point to results, but there's no nuance. you're telling me that the results of all of those games was equally dependent on each roster later? that if you had substituted different players for bonino and rempe, wins would have automatically become losses?

what about for the loss to florida? does the coach bear any share of the blame there?

are you a lifelong military service member, by any chance?

No coach is always right. All coaches make mistakes. A mistake is not the same as purposely playing a person you think will lead to less wins. Lavi had the best record in the NHL last season without the best roster. Do you think you could have won more games? Yes we lost to Florida. Florida was a better team. Florida won the cup. I really don't understand your point. You really think Lavi plays guys he thinks are inferior? For what purpose? What would he gain?

 

[OTGHockey]

I keep wanting to find positives in Kakko's game, but I feel he's still tentative. I liked the idea that he needs to just shoot more and have a few go in, but his offense at the moment is really constrained. Even his celebrations lack that energy of someone who is excited, and while part of that is his personality I expect, the other part suggests someone who is weighed down by his lack of success.

 

[Overcast]

I keep wanting to find positives in Kakko's game, but I feel he's still tentative. I liked the idea that he needs to just shoot more and have a few go in, but his offense at the moment is really constrained. Even his celebrations lack that energy of someone who is excited, and while part of that is his personality I expect, the other part suggests someone who is weighed down by his lack of success.

Telling myself it's pre-season and now is the time to get the yips out of the way. I'll reserve any sort of judgment for the regular season and beyond, but it's hard to find many visible points to refute anything you said. His reactions do feel like he's thinking/feeling "Yea that's great and all, but I still can't produce with much consistency" and that he's still very much in his own head about everything. I don't watch many interviews or anything, but I've never seen any mention him seeing a sports psychologist. Not that it hasn't happened with Kakko, but it was pretty widely reported on with Kreider.

From my very limited knowledge of Finnish athletes (read: just Kimmi Raikkonen), they can be very fiery but are usually reserved in their demeanor, and they can still perform at the top of their sport while coming off as "cold." Hoping it's mostly this.

 

[will1066]

They should create a biomechanical team like in baseball and study Kaapo's skating mechanics, then fix them.

 

[Rempe73]

The Kakko thing to do would be to see a sports psychologist

 

[RangersFan1994]

I keep wanting to find positives in Kakko's game, but I feel he's still tentative. I liked the idea that he needs to just shoot more and have a few go in, but his offense at the moment is really constrained. Even his celebrations lack that energy of someone who is excited, and while part of that is his personality I expect, the other part suggests someone who is weighed down by his lack of success.

I think he is mentally fragile. Seems to lose confidence easily. For some players that can ruin their career. I think that might be causing his issues. Just a gut feeling. He needs to figure that out

 

[wolfgaze]

One of the players on the team needs to give Kakko several hard slaps across the face before the game and during intermissions to get him angry and playing with some emotion out on the ice. He plays with the emotional range of a mannequin.

 

[leetch99]

Kakko should just fire the puck at the net all the time even if it's not going in at first. What else has he got to lose when it comes to trying to make his offense work? Just rip it.

To take that approach a step further.....he should crash the net /crease area hard for rebounds and wear down the D physically and maybe draw a few PP chances for us . You don't need speed to do this....but you have to be willing to get down and dirty ......Holik like ....Holmstrom...Vickers . Let the snipers score while you create havoc . If he can't or won't do that.....package him up and ship him out because he is replaceable likely from within . Chances are we can get that from Othmann and Cuylle as 3rd liners and both well versed in that role being former Canadian Juniors .

 

[94leetch]

KK crashing the net would be something to see.

 

[will1066]

My feelings about Kakko really depend on the day. Today I'm feeling low confidence about him.

 

[TGWL]

If only there was a way to focus on skating before being drafted.. or after...
It just boggles my mind how many players get drafted and look to have skating issues.