Nobody here (HF), nor Rangers mgmt. can convince me that breaking ties with KK and coupling him with our 29th (or whatever the hell it is) just to move up in a draft where........hell, I'll say it we "suck at" for a player that probably won't pan out anyway BECAUSE we don't know how to develop kids and just because our rival allowed Hughes to step right in on a horrific Devils team, it didn't mean we had to do the same. He was all of 18/19......a child, and IMHO he still is. He hasn't yet grown up, and would bet anything he misses home more than most (at least it looks that way).
I've said it before, the one "constant" that seemed to work for him....... was playing with Filip and Laffy. KIDS need their buddies every bit as much as they NEED mentors. Because of some circumstances eg: Filip and KK getting injured while Laffy was too busy laughing and playing like shit.......he lost a lot of confidence, while trying to figure out the whirlwind in which surrounded him. It seemingly was too much for him and now playing Monday Morning QB, it's easy to say that the Rangers should have left him with Hartford for a year, or at the least until he was tearing shit up and deemed "ready".
Again, I'd rather have a rock solid 3rd line defender with "some offense", than throwing shit at a wall and hoping it sticks some 3 years down the road. With our "average" defense, losing him will create a defensive HOLE which supposedly was one of the reasons as to WHY we acquired Wennberg, right?
I'd no sooner rather send him down for a few months and earn playing for the Rangers whilst hoping he grows up as his confidence rises. His worth might increase and other GM's might take notice, maybe even Drury.
Still rooting him on, maybe Laffy's light will come on for KK as well.
The whole point is he likely doesn’t want to be here in the present or long term at this point in it…
instead of just keeping him around, waiting til he can make it to UFA, they actually deal him now while he’s cost controlled for 2 more season and some team will have a chance on that untapped potential happening because of the change in environment….
You deal while he can still bring back something quality in a package.
Not only that, you have younger and cheaper players knocking on the door for that roster spot that could realistically provide the same or better offensively and shouldn’t be a detriment defensively.
The longer it drags on when the guy rather play somewhere else and the org can’t give prospects that are ready NHL time/opportunity, the worse it is for all parties involved……
Kind of similar to the Nils situation.
On a side note, whoever said Kakko + 30 to jets for McGroaty + lower pick was on to something.
NYR and Win have a history of dealing together ( Trouba/copp)
Kakko being on a team with lambert/heinola, guys he knows, played with before, speak his language, etc would be an ideal landing spot for him….
If you want him to ever possibly reach his max potential, that’s an environment where I can see him being way more comfortable with less pressure/expectations
