Roster Building Thread - Part XI (Off-season edition)

[Machinehead]

You can't have it both ways. Either he has the hands or he doesnt. He clearly does. He makes bad decisions because he has zero confidence and doesn't trust himself to make plays.

Right. To clarify, I do think his hands are good. What I mean is that he really doesn't have the control you would associate with good hands if he tries to do anything offensively aggressive.

All of this is mental. Yes, he lacks confidence, but I think, more than that, he just doesn't have a strong hockey IQ. Sorry to say. He skates right into traffic and has very little vision when it comes to passing. He also forgets to use his hands when presented with a little bit of pressure.

This leads to, yes, he can control the puck, if he literally just cycles. If he does anything else, a light breeze causes him to turn it over. That's not going to work with anybody on his line.

disagree.

possessing down low is itself a useful and winning strategy because it keeps the puck in the o zone, allowing D to change, especially in long change periods, and tires out the opposing D. it can lead to power play opportunities.

Kakko has demonstrated that he can thread passes through the net mouth from down low, especially behind the net. bonino, brodzinski, cuylle, even chytil all miss them. these are high percentage opportunities wasted.

i'm not arguing that he's a high level playmaker from below the dots, or that i personally am happy about his lack of offense creation from possession. he needs to cut to the middle more when he has the puck, and he needs to find open space to shoot without it.

but you're wrong on both counts, playing down low is useful and he has demonstrated he can create offense. just not consistently enough. Part of that to me is linemates - his biggest flaw is lack of adaptability.

Natural Stat Trick

Somebody look up his linemates and post the same thing I've posted fifty times. I'm tired.

 

[noncents]

Right. To clarify, I do think his hands are good. What I mean is that he really doesn't have the control you would associate with good hands if he tries to do anything offensively aggressive.

All of this is mental. Yes, he lacks confidence, but I think, more than that, he just doesn't have a strong hockey IQ. Sorry to say. He skates right into traffic and has very little vision when it comes to passing. He also forgets to use his hands when presented with a little bit of pressure.

This leads to, yes, he can control the puck, if he literally just cycles. If he does anything else, a light breeze causes him to turn it over. That's not going to work with anybody on his line.


Natural Stat Trick

Somebody look up his linemates and post the same thing I've posted fifty times. I'm tired.

yeah, when you posted it last time I told you the same thing: good possession analytics but poor production probably speaks to a stylistic incompatibility. But keep being single-minded and condescending, it suits you!

 

[Levitate]

Kakko usually just waits too long to do something with the puck and it doesn't matter who you are in the NHL or how elite your hands are, if you're hesitating with the puck you're gonna lose it.

You can't stick handle to the front of the net and then hold the puck trying to get the goaltender to move and then try to stick handle across the crease again while the entire other team is collapsing down on you. You gotta manufacture a chance and then take it instead of holding out for the even better chance and constantly losing the puck

There's just not enough time and space in the NHL for that and Kakko somehow still hasn't figured that out when he does create some chances

e: I think it could be a sort of cycle where he tries to create something, loses the puck because he waits too long, then gets into his head and loses confidence because "well the last time I did that I lost the puck" etc etc

You can see a guy like Laf (for example, since they have been in somewhat comparable situations in terms of draft position and expectations) tends make fancy move and then try to score or try to make a pass. He doesn't try to beat everyone and hold on to the puck forever. Kakko is still "I'll stick handle past this guy and I could shoot!!! but it's not an empty net I'm shooting at so I'll hold, now just try to beat this other guy and oh shit now I've been cross checked to the ice"

 

[Machinehead]

yeah, when you posted it last time I told you the same thing: good possession analytics but poor production probably speaks to a stylistic incompatibility. But keep being single-minded and condescending, it suits you!

I'm just tired of hearing about his linemates. It's a bad argument that deserves to be condescended.

"Stylistic incompatibility."

Who is he good with?

 

[Levitate]

I'm just tired of hearing about his linemates. It's a bad argument that deserves to be condescended.

"Stylistic incompatibility."

Who is he good with?

Good question!

Honestly think he could be a good player but he has also gotten a little lost in the weeds in terms of what he needs to do to play with other players and who would work best for him. With some luck and linemate finishing he might have settled in with some players and found his niche better. I do think he kinda got screwed by some bad finishing and then having his line broken up at times, but it's also on him to find a way to finish things if necessary.

IMO he's a player who's kinda lost as to what he should do to be effective at the NHL level and I hope the coaching staff spent some time with him on how to prepare for next season.

 

[bhamill]

Underlying numbers/stats aside, Kakko has been a healthy scratch during 2 important playoff runs under 2 different HCs. Unless he does something significant and impactful this season, I don't see him sticking around when separate coaching staffs haven't had faith that he can contribute in a meaningful way when the games count.

Well, he was scratched twice total. Once by each of those HCs. He’s played way more “meaningful” games than he’s been scratched for. Personally I dont find it significant.

 

[bernmeister]

I absolutely agree that he lacks speed. But Kakko is one of our best players down low and under physical pressure with the puck.
Now he has a problem converting that to scoring chances. But he’s also a huge kid who doesn’t really lose 1 on 1 board battles which is entirely how to succeed in the playoffs.

this^, except I think he has some straight away speed
can power, but not fluid
should be working w/kreider + a specialist

 

[Machinehead]

Well, he was scratched twice total. Once by each of those HCs. He’s played way more “meaningful” games than he’s been scratched for. Personally I dont find it significant.

I don't find it significant that "he got scratched once" which is a very disingenuous framing.

I find it significant that the team has spent assets four times attempting to fill the same hole and it's his spot in the lineup.

 

[noncents]

I'm just tired of hearing about his linemates. It's a bad argument that deserves to be condescended.

"Stylistic incompatibility."

Who is he good with?

you apply a set of analytical measurements to most players and lines as an evaluative standard. yet where Kakko is concerned you only pay attention to Gf/60 to highlight his lack of production, as well as invoking more general eye test descriptors of him sucking, being terrible, etc.

So i'm not sure what you're asking me - who is he good with? do you mean from an analytical perspective? or who does he produce with? or are you asking who he looks good playing with? or all three, or none of the above?

I know it's a lot to ask to scroll back but i posted on the last page that he would play well with a below-the-dots physical centerman who could play a strong cycle game with him. the rangers don't play that way and don't have that guy.

https://www.naturalstattrick.com/playerreport.php?fromseason=20212022&thruseason=20232024&stype=2&sit=ev&stdoi=oi&rate=n&v=t&playerid=8481554

take a look at the xgf% on/off for Kakko, regular season even strength over the last 3 years. Most guys, especially forwards, ESPECIALLY the centers he's played with, have better xgf% with Kakko than without.

Zibanejad actually not that much different with/without. he makes Kakko a bit better.
Kakko makes Cuylle better, and the Kids play better together.

Panarin/Troch have a strong decline in effectiveness with Kakko on the ice. They just don't mesh.


I realize again that it's a lot to ask to actually read what i write and attach, to engage in the discussion rather than fire pithy condescension. So i don't expect anything else.

 

[eco's bones]

I really don’t think the org was as upset with Trouba as the media made it seem.

I don't either.

A lot of the Rangers fanbase want Jacob gone and expressing their dissatisfaction and the Rangers did try to move him and Jacob did block that move which contractually he had the right to do in this case. Much of the reason why though the Rangers wanted to move him was to create more cap space. I think management recognizes they're not getting great value for his contract and would have liked to maybe move in another direction and what Jacob did kind of blocked that from happening for now. When the Rangers were blocked it ratcheted up anger in the fanbase but as for the Rangers they then just committed to go another year with him but I think this will happen again next summer and his contract with a year left by then should be much easier to move. So what didn't happen only delayed something that will inevitably happen IMO.

I would be very surprised if they took the C away from him though and I don't think the players would want that to happen. As well punishing a player or the players as a whole is almost always counter productive and it can very easily create divisions amongst the players if not turn many of them against the organization. How interactions develop between players/coaches/management per pro sports franchises isn't really very typical of employer/employee relationships that most of us know from our own experiences. With a hockey team things work best when relationships are cordial/friendly from top to bottom and everyone is pretty much on the same page.

 

[bhamill]

I don't find it significant that "he got scratched once" which is a very disingenuous framing.

I find it significant that the team has spent assets four times attempting to fill the same hole and it's his spot in the lineup.

Twice, once each coaching staff. And how is it disingenuous when it’s just straight up factual. He’s played 41 of 43 playoff games he’s been available for at the decrepit age of 23.
They are spending assets trying to find ANYONE that will mesh with 20 and 93 at EV. Because no one has in three years. I find framing that Kakko is the reason they keep spending assets, instead of blaming veterans Kreids and Mika, to be way more disingenuous than factually pointing out how infrequently a young player has been scratched in the playoffs.
BTW, Kakko scored as many EV goals as Mika last year. 12, in TWENTY LESS GAMES. Extrapolated to a full season, at EV Kreids had 19 goals, Kakko would have 16 and Mika 12.
The bottom of the truth is Kakko is a stylistic bad fit, as it seems 95% of wingers are, for 93 and 20. No one else he got any real time with last year had any real offensive abilities. The only other real skilled linemates he had in recent years were Chytil and Laf, and he looked good with them.

All of this is so reminiscent of what was being said about Laf as recently as last preseason that it’s amazing to me. No, I’m not saying Kakko is on Laf’s level, I’m saying he’s in a similar position and it’s really just a matter of confidence and appropriate linemates. … And hey maybe an appropriate linemate might raise the play of 20 & 93 at EV, but they’ve had way more, and way better, linemates to fail to mesh with than Kakko has had…

 

[Machinehead]

you apply a set of analytical measurements to most players and lines as an evaluative standard. yet where Kakko is concerned you only pay attention to Gf/60 to highlight his lack of production, as well as invoking more general eye test descriptors of him sucking, being terrible, etc.

So i'm not sure what you're asking me - who is he good with? do you mean from an analytical perspective? or who does he produce with? or are you asking who he looks good playing with? or all three, or none of the above?

I know it's a lot to ask to scroll back but i posted on the last page that he would play well with a below-the-dots physical centerman who could play a strong cycle game with him. the rangers don't play that way and don't have that guy.

https://www.naturalstattrick.com/playerreport.php?fromseason=20212022&thruseason=20232024&stype=2&sit=ev&stdoi=oi&rate=n&v=t&playerid=8481554

take a look at the xgf% on/off for Kakko, regular season even strength over the last 3 years. Most guys, especially forwards, ESPECIALLY the centers he's played with, have better xgf% with Kakko than without.

Zibanejad actually not that much different with/without. he makes Kakko a bit better.
Kakko makes Cuylle better, and the Kids play better together.

Panarin/Troch have a strong decline in effectiveness with Kakko on the ice. They just don't mesh.


I realize again that it's a lot to ask to actually read what i write and attach, to engage in the discussion rather than fire pithy condescension. So i don't expect anything else.

Gee thanks for the rundown of numbers I definitely haven't seen a million times.

Yes, I apply a set of analytic measurements to most players. After awhile, the only thing that matters is goals. The rest is all predictive. The "expected" based analytics probably rank the Rangers somewhere in the 20's among NHL teams. No analytics person is going to unironically have them missing the playoffs. They're probably a 50+ win team again because that's what they are, over and over.

There's one caveat to that: expected numbers are very often a good barometer for playoff-style hockey. That's where Zibanejad and the Rangers as a whole seem to slow down. What can you do, in-zone, 5v5, when the other team isn't giving you a bunch of rushes? Wouldn't you know it? Kakko also can't produce in the playoffs!

And yes, I'm asking you who he can produce with and the answer is nobody. He's about to go into year six. Unless he gets better, this is what he is. Waiting for analytical regression six seasons in is foolish. Any analytics person would tell you that. He doesn't score. His linemates don't score when they're with him. That's what he's been for 300 games. Could he still improve? Sure. If he continues to be the same player, is the same player going to suddenly start scoring because he found the right linemates or they suddenly started "finishing?" Absolutely not.

I'm willing to engage in a discussion but I'm not willing to engage in the notion that it's luck and teammates. We've watched this guy play 344 games regular season and playoffs and I'm exhausted with it. He has been what he has been and there's one reason for that: the reason is Kaapo Kakko.

 

[Machinehead]

I don't either.

A lot of the Rangers fanbase want Jacob gone and expressing their dissatisfaction and the Rangers did try to move him and Jacob did block that move which contractually he had the right to do in this case. Much of the reason why though the Rangers wanted to move him was to create more cap space. I think management recognizes they're not getting great value for his contract and would have liked to maybe move in another direction and what Jacob did kind of blocked that from happening for now. When the Rangers were blocked it ratcheted up anger in the fanbase but as for the Rangers they then just committed to go another year with him but I think this will happen again next summer and his contract with a year left by then should be much easier to move. So what didn't happen only delayed something that will inevitably happen IMO.

I would be very surprised if they took the C away from him though and I don't think the players would want that to happen. As well punishing a player or the players as a whole is almost always counter productive and it can very easily create divisions amongst the players if not turn many of them against the organization. How interactions develop between players/coaches/management per pro sports franchises isn't really very typical of employer/employee relationships that most of us know from our own experiences. With a hockey team things work best when relationships are cordial/friendly from top to bottom and everyone is pretty much on the same page.

If they wanted him gone that bad, he would be gone.

It seems to me that they had a specific move in mind on July 1st, they explored a move to Detroit, and Trouba said no.

Brooks took that and ran with it because he'd punch his mother for a click.

By the time 7/1 passed, whatever it was, it appears the ship has sailed. There's been no effort to move Trouba since then.

As much as I would like to believe the team is just over Trouba because he sucks, the signs tell me that moving Trouba wasn't the impetus. The impetus was paying whoever it was that they wanted on July 1st.

And if it makes people feel any better, it was probably stupid! Most expensive UFA's are.

 

[NYR Viper]

Kakko's game, for better or for worse, is about stealing pucks, controlling the puck, drawing defenders to him and then dishing it off to the open man. Again, go back and watch the season when he was playing with Lafreniere and Chytil. He would routinely be the player on that line controlling the puck in thee zone and finding Chytil or Lafreniere as they popped open in between coverage.

I'm not sure how many times I need to say this but Zibanejad, Kreider and Panarin DO NOT PLAY THIS STYLE OF GAME. That really makes it hard for Kakko to gain any traction when the (2) top-6 LW's don't mesh well at all with his style of game.

Could it be that people are upset with his style of game because he is doing what he needs to do in order to be effective but, gasp, his linemates are not opening up to make themselves available?

If Chytil is healthy, I'm expecting them both to have a pretty good season.

 

[Machinehead]

Twice, once each coaching staff. And how is it disingenuous when it’s just straight up factual. He’s played 41 of 43 playoff games he’s been available for at the decrepit age of 23.
They are spending assets trying to find ANYONE that will mesh with 20 and 93 at EV. Because no one has in three years. I find framing that Kakko is the reason they keep spending assets, instead of blaming veterans Kreids and Mika, to be way more disingenuous than factually pointing out how infrequently a young player has been scratched in the playoffs.
BTW, Kakko scored as many EV goals as Mika last year. 12, in TWENTY LESS GAMES. Extrapolated to a full season, at EV Kreids had 19 goals, Kakko would have 16 and Mika 12.
The bottom of the truth is Kakko is a stylistic bad fit, as it seems 95% of wingers are, for 93 and 20. No one else he got any real time with last year had any real offensive abilities. The only other real skilled linemates he had in recent years were Chytil and Laf, and he looked good with them.

All of this is so reminiscent of what was being said about Laf as recently as last preseason that it’s amazing to me. No, I’m not saying Kakko is on Laf’s level, I’m saying he’s in a similar position and it’s really just a matter of confidence and appropriate linemates. … And hey maybe an appropriate linemate might raise the play of 20 & 93 at EV, but they’ve had way more, and way better, linemates to fail to mesh with than Kakko has had…

They traded for Vatrano, they traded for Tarasenko, they traded for Roslovic, and they traded for Smith all to put them in the exact spot vacated by Buchnevich; a spot Kakko played significant minutes in during the seasons leading up to each of those three deadlines. That's four. The team handed him a spot and he hasn't been able to take it.

Sure, that spot is a tough spot to play in, but he also isn't good with Panarin. Even with Laf and Chytil, they didn't particularly score a lot. If a guy is an awkward fit with all of his linemates, it isn't the linemates.

People always bring up that the same things were said about Lafreniere but

1) Lafreniere got better! He got a lot better. Kakko has to do that.

2) This past season was the first year they gave Laf that top six RW spot and gave him until at least the deadline and he ran with it. Buchnevich was traded in the summer of 2021. Kakko has had a top six spot guaranteed to him since then and he's lost it to no competition. He's losing elections in which he's running unopposed. That was my point about four trades that the team had to make. You simply cannot compare the level of opportunity they've gotten. Kakko had three full years with a top six spot that was his, and it resulted in three trades, plus a fourth trade preemptively which is not a good look. Lafreniere got one real crack at a permanent top six spot and never came back out.

 

[bhamill]

Kakko's game, for better or for worse, is about stealing pucks, controlling the puck, drawing defenders to him and then dishing it off to the open man. Again, go back and watch the season when he was playing with Lafreniere and Chytil. He would routinely be the player on that line controlling the puck in thee zone and finding Chytil or Lafreniere as they popped open in between coverage.

I'm not sure how many times I need to say this but Zibanejad, Kreider and Panarin DO NOT PLAY THIS STYLE OF GAME. That really makes it hard for Kakko to gain any traction when the (2) top-6 LW's don't mesh well at all with his style of game.

Could it be that people are upset with his style of game because he is doing what he needs to do in order to be effective but, gasp, his linemates are not opening up to make themselves available?

If Chytil is healthy, I'm expecting them both to have a pretty good season.

I keep saying this ad nauseam, but stylistically, I think Chytil, Kakko, Cuylle is a line that would mesh well. Kakko and Cuylle are very good defensively, and all three players can cycle. Chytil can stay out of traffic somewhat and let Kakko and Cuylle handle that. It’s got a good mix of skill and physicality. I just hope we get a chance to see what that line could do. Guess we shall see.

 

[Machinehead]

To be fair, I do think the Rangers have a nasty tendency to set up two scoring lines that never cycle, and two lines that can cycle but couldn't score in a basketball game.

Regardless of how I feel about Kakko, I do agree with that to an extent.

 

[TGWL]

this^, except I think he has some straight away speed
can power, but not fluid
should be working w/kreider + a specialist

Kakko working with a training staff/skating specialist and doing quick sprint training, sure.

But just because Kreider is fast doesn't mean he should be training Kakko on how to skate. Kreider has powerful legs. Kreider isn't going to train him on straight line speed. Kakko has spongebob legs. The explosive first push off and long strides won't be comparable.

 

[bhamill]

They traded for Vatrano, they traded for Tarasenko, they traded for Roslovic, and they traded for Smith all to put them in the exact spot vacated by Buchnevich; a spot Kakko played significant minutes in during the seasons leading up to each of those three deadlines. That's four. The team handed him a spot and he hasn't been able to take it.

Sure, that spot is a tough spot to play in, but he also isn't good with Panarin. Even with Laf and Chytil, they didn't particularly score a lot. If a guy is an awkward fit with all of his linemates, it isn't the linemates.

People always bring up that the same things were said about Lafreniere but

1) Lafreniere got better! He got a lot better. Kakko has to do that.

2) This past season was the first year they gave Laf that top six RW spot and gave him until at least the deadline and he ran with it. Buchnevich was traded in the summer of 2021. Kakko has had a top six spot guaranteed to him since then and he's lost it to no competition. He's losing elections in which he's running unopposed. That was my point about four trades that the team had to make. You simply cannot compare the level of opportunity they've gotten. Kakko had three full years with a top six spot that was his, and it resulted in three trades, plus a fourth trade preemptively which is not a good look. Lafreniere got one real crack at a permanent top six spot and never came back out.

Again, they handed him a spot with players he doesn’t mesh with. And neither has anyone else since Buch. Why you’re blaming that on the young player who was only one of a parade of wingers 20 and 93 haven’t meshed with is honestly puzzling. Last pre season you were saying that you saw nothing that Laf did well. And so you couldn’t see how he was going to ever break out… and then between pre season and regular season Laf got a lot better… Obviously just because you did not see it doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. It just feels like you are doing similar with Kakko and plus scapegoating him for the poor EV play of Mika (who Kakko scored goals at a higher rate at EV last year than) and Kreids. You said the bottom line is scoring goals and Kakko did that better at EV last year than Mika and not much worse than Kreids… yet he was the problem… he wasn’t. 20 and 93 have been their own problem no matter who likes it or doesn’t.

Listen everyone who wants to can bash Kakko all they want. Just like they were with Laf last preseason. We shall see. I’m 80/20 that Kakko takes a nice step this year. If he shits the bed, feel free to remind me. Hahahaha.

 

[NYR Viper]

I'd really like to see how a Berard-Chytil-Kakko line works honestly. I like the idea of Cuylle, he's someone who doesn't need the puck and goes to and around the net which would also be someone who would mesh well here but I think Berard, who really thrives in finding small holes and using hi quickness to create separation would do well on this line.

 

[Machinehead]

Again, they handed him a spot with players he doesn’t mesh with. And neither has anyone else since Buch. Why you’re blaming that on the young player who was only one of a parade of wingers 20 and 93 haven’t meshed with is honestly puzzling. Last pre season you were saying that you saw nothing that Laf did well. And so you couldn’t see how he was going to ever break out… and then between pre season and regular season Laf got a lot better… Obviously just because you did not see it doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. It just feels like you are doing similar with Kakko and plus scapegoating him for the poor EV play of Mika (who Kakko scored goals at a higher rate at EV last year than) and Kreids. You said the bottom line is scoring goals and Kakko did that better at EV last year than Mika and not much worse than Kreids… yet he was the problem… he wasn’t. 20 and 93 have been their own problem no matter who likes it or doesn’t.

Listen everyone who wants to can bash Kakko all they want. Just like they were with Laf last preseason. We shall see. I’m 80/20 that Kakko takes a nice step this year. If he shits the bed, feel free to remind me. Hahahaha.

I did say that about Lafreniere and I was wrong. Maybe I'll be wrong about Kakko as a player. All I'm saying is, blaming the situation isn't it anymore. It's been five years. It's on Kakko that he hasn't lived up to the pick, and it's on him to be better.

It shouldn't be a controversial take at all that Kakko just needs to be better.

 

[noncents]

Gee thanks for the rundown of numbers I definitely haven't seen a million times.

Yes, I apply a set of analytic measurements to most players. After awhile, the only thing that matters is goals. The rest is all predictive. The "expected" based analytics probably rank the Rangers somewhere in the 20's among NHL teams. No analytics person is going to unironically have them missing the playoffs. They're probably a 50+ win team again because that's what they are, over and over.

There's one caveat to that: expected numbers are very often a good barometer for playoff-style hockey. That's where Zibanejad and the Rangers as a whole seem to slow down. What can you do, in-zone, 5v5, when the other team isn't giving you a bunch of rushes? Wouldn't you know it? Kakko also can't produce in the playoffs!

And yes, I'm asking you who he can produce with and the answer is nobody. He's about to go into year six. Unless he gets better, this is what he is. Waiting for analytical regression six seasons in is foolish. Any analytics person would tell you that. He doesn't score. His linemates don't score when they're with him. That's what he's been for 300 games. Could he still improve? Sure. If he continues to be the same player, is the same player going to suddenly start scoring because he found the right linemates or they suddenly started "finishing?" Absolutely not.

I'm willing to engage in a discussion but I'm not willing to engage in the notion that it's luck and teammates. We've watched this guy play 344 games regular season and playoffs and I'm exhausted with it. He has been what he has been and there's one reason for that: the reason is Kaapo Kakko.

you're conflating so many issues here. what matters is wins. goals for-goals against across games. Rangers are not a 50-win team because they prevent goals at a top-5 level in the conference, because they have great goaltending and they score on special teams. They are not a dominant even strength offensive team.

"he doesn't score" my brother in christ
in 22-23, at age 21, Kakko scored 37 ES points in 82 games at 13:58 ES minutes per game

here are the players same age or younger than he who scored more ES points, their ages/games/ESTOI/G:
Mercer 21yo 44 ESP in 82g at 13:56ES/G
Beniers 20yo 46ESP in 80g at 14:26ES/G
Cozens 21yo 47ESP in 81g at 12:26 ES/G
Zegras 21yo 48ESP in 81g at 15:59ES/G
Hughes 21yo 68ESP in 76g at 16:44ES/G

so your woeful eXhAuStIoN is just asinine. his last healthy season he scored quite well at evens for his age.

And that's just production. he also grades out very well as a defensive player - the other side of what matters to winning, GA.

he's a useful player who you personally just don't like. That's fine, everyone is entitled to their own opinions. but this "they've filled his spot in the lineup 4 times!!?!" argument is more an indictment of the FO than him. he is who he is. we all want him to be better than he is, but that doesn't make him useless or worthless.

 

[Machinehead]

I'd really like to see how a Berard-Chytil-Kakko line works honestly. I like the idea of Cuylle, he's someone who doesn't need the puck and goes to and around the net which would also be someone who would mesh well here but I think Berard, who really thrives in finding small holes and using hi quickness to create separation would do well on this line.

I'm not sure if Cuylle is someone who doesn't need the puck, as opposed to someone who just shouldn't have it, but I guess it depends on how you look at it!

 

[noncents]

I did say that about Lafreniere and I was wrong. Maybe I'll be wrong about Kakko as a player. All I'm saying is, blaming the situation isn't it anymore. It's been five years. It's on Kakko that he hasn't lived up to the pick, and it's on him to be better.

It shouldn't be a controversial take at all that Kakko just needs to be better.

it's not. What's controversial is your insistence that the player has no utility, no value, no production, and literally can't play hockey or whatever else you spew about him when your jimmie's are up.

 

[Machinehead]

it's not. What's controversial is your insistence that the player has no utility, no value, no production, and literally can't play hockey or whatever else you spew about him when your jimmie's are up.

Show me where I said any of that?