The Rangers operate under a caste system.
Speculation: Roster Building Thread : Part XVI (Playoffs or Retool?)
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- Jul 28, 2011
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It means if Jones had any real value he would have been traded already.
HatTrick Swayze
Just Be Nice
Saw this on the main boards. Not sure if it was posted here. Its about Kakko. Really gives some light into what he was thinking while playing here.
I know it is beating a dead horse, but i found it an interesting read.
Valmentajan ensimmäinen ohje uudessa NHL-seurassa löi Kaapo Kakon ällikällä – muutti kaiken
Kaapo Kakko on pelannut NHL:ssä jo kuusi ja puoli kautta. Ura New Yorkissa eteni tahmeasti, mutta hän on löytänyt peli-ilon Seattlesta. Kakko paljastaa nyt, mikä hänen mielestään meni pieleen New Yorkissa.
www.is.fi
In English:
A few days before Christmas, Kaapo Kakko, 23, received a relieving phone call: he had been traded from the New York Rangers to the Seattle Kraken.
While playing for the Rangers, Kakko couldn’t openly admit it, but this was the moment he had been waiting for. He was ready to leave New York, where his passion for the game had seemingly been lost somewhere in the depths of Madison Square Garden.
"Of course, I couldn’t say it out loud, but for quite some time, I had the feeling that I wouldn’t really mind a change of scenery," Kakko admits.
"At the same time, there are mixed emotions tied to the trade. The New York organization is amazing, and everything was familiar and safe, but I wanted to see something new."
Kakko arrived in Manhattan in the fall of 2019 with high expectations. The Rangers had drafted him second overall, but the Finnish forward’s game never clicked under the bright lights. He remained a supporting player.
"I was never one of the team’s top players, always stuck in the third line with fairly limited minutes. There were nights when I felt good on the ice and had the energy to push hard, but I just wasn’t given the trust. I felt I had much more to give," Kakko reflects.
"That’s why I often thought my career might take off in another organization."
Kakko’s departure sparked debate among Rangers fans. Some felt the Finn was mistreated, while others believed he had been given ample opportunity to prove himself.
Kakko isn’t entirely convinced he got enough chances to play in the top lines during his time in New York.
"Sure, if I had been good enough, I would’ve earned more ice time from the opportunities I was given," Kakko admits.
During his six and a half seasons with the Rangers, Kakko had brief stints in the top lines, but the reality wasn’t as rosy as it might have appeared on paper.
One example Kakko points to is the 2023–24 season, which ultimately became one of the toughest of his career, partly due to injuries.
"I had scored 40 points the previous season with fairly limited ice time, so expectations were high for the next season. The new coach, Peter Laviolette, told me, Alex Lafrenière, and Filip Chytil that his job was to help us develop further. I thought, ‘This is my chance to reach the next level,’" Kakko recounts.
Things initially looked promising. Kakko started the season on the top line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider.
"I got about 10 games there, but it didn’t take off at all."
In name, Kakko played on the top line, but in reality, he spent a lot of time on the bench. Zibanejad and Kreider also played penalty kill and were fixtures on the Rangers’ first power-play unit, where Kakko wasn’t included.
"My rhythm was completely disrupted because I’d sit on the bench for long stretches. Even Zibanejad and Kreider struggled at five-on-five, but they were putting up numbers on the power play."
After the 10-game trial, Kakko was demoted and spent the rest of the season in his usual spot on the third line.
"There were games where I only played about eight minutes."
One night during an away game in Anaheim, Kakko had had enough.
"I was sitting on the bench again for ages and thought, ‘How the hell did this happen again?’"
Kakko’s frustrating journey in New York illustrates that sometimes, the time and place simply aren’t right for a player.
The Finnish forward’s career under the Manhattan spotlight got off to a rocky start, and he never managed to break out of his shell. The blame for Kakko’s struggles lies partly with the team and partly with the player himself. The Rangers failed to get the best out of him, but Kakko also wasn’t good enough to force his way to the top.
"When I got a chance in the top lines, I thought, ‘I absolutely have to succeed now so my linemates are happy and things work out.’ And if I happened to lose the puck, I knew I’d be back in the third line in no time. That definitely showed in my play," Kakko reflects.
And it did. Kakko played reliable, basic hockey and was defensively responsible. Advanced stats loved his game, but the spark was missing. He avoided risks, and the points didn’t come.
"The things I now dare to do in Seattle, I didn’t really do at all in New York," Kakko says.
Wearing the Kraken jersey, Kakko looks reborn. He constantly demands the puck and drives the play for his line.
"It felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders as soon as I got here. I’ve been playing consistently with big minutes. There are rough shifts here and there, but they’re quickly forgotten when you only sit on the bench for a short time before jumping back on the ice," Kakko says happily.
In Seattle, Kakko has seen ice times as high as 19–20 minutes per game, a stark contrast to his 13-minute average in New York.
His coach’s first instruction caught him off guard.
"As soon as I got here, they told me that losing the puck sometimes is just part of the game. I hadn’t thought about hockey that way in years," Kakko reveals.
"That’s probably why I’ve been able to play much more boldly now. I’m no longer focused on not losing the puck at the blue line but instead feel confident making cross-ice passes. They’ve started to work, and the results have come. This is the kind of player I was drafted to be."
In New York, hockey had started to feel like a chore.
"Especially last season, there were tough times. I’d get myself ready for game day, but too often, I’d leave the rink barely even breaking a sweat. Playing started to feel like going to work. Now, it’s amazing to head to the rink," Kakko says.
Kakko has quickly noticed changes in his body since moving to Seattle.
"I’ve been playing almost double the minutes here, but my legs feel fresher," he marvels.
"In New York, my legs often felt heavy after sitting on the bench for so long. I kept wondering if I was out of shape or what was wrong because even with only 10–11 minutes of ice time, I couldn’t get going. And I trained hard every summer."
It helps that Kakko’s line with Matthew Beniers and Jaden Schwartz is currently clicking beautifully. The initial excitement likely won’t last forever.
"This probably won’t last like this all the time. But I’m enjoying it now. I feel like everything depends on me. I don’t want to complain too much about my time in New York, but the trust in me here is on a completely different level. It makes everything easier," Kakko says.
Kaapo Kakko has rediscovered his love for the game and his lost confidence in Seattle.
As a team, Seattle still has areas to improve.
"I’ve noticed that the downside of our bold, puck-heavy style is that sometimes we’re a bit too daring. There are moments when we need to play smarter. That’s something I learned during my time with the disciplined Rangers," Kakko concludes.
Pretty damning and fits with the overall mountain of evidence that the NYR aren’t good at developing offensive talent, but I’m sure it will be panned and glossed over by most on here.
Was my main argument on the day he was signed, when everyone was jubilant…
The Blues traded Scott Perunovich to the Islanders for a conditional 5th in 2026. Perunovich won the Hobey Baker in 2020. He is probably or most likely a better player than Zac Jones. What is Jones worth?
well if Drury cant u load panarin bc of NMC, u can buy him out. Just the one bad year of cap hit.
But with McKenna as the top draft pick its not a bad year to suck.
Kreider is also completely buyoutable if we cant find takers or his NTC gets in the way.
Zib is not buyoutable. Too many years of a $7m cap hit.
But with McKenna as the top draft pick its not a bad year to suck.
Kreider is also completely buyoutable if we cant find takers or his NTC gets in the way.
Zib is not buyoutable. Too many years of a $7m cap hit.
20 years ago people were complaining about millennials when they were young so now people thinki Millennials are young through the end of eternity.
Chalfdiggity3
Registered User
Shit you’re right!
It was an awful song.
Jeez I still remember when the Hansons came out. Mmmm bop haha
JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK
Twenty f*ckin years
- Oct 8, 2010
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NickyFotiu
NYR 2024 Cup Champs!
- Sep 29, 2011
- 16,681
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Depends on the teams viewpoint. If they are having trouble getting good value on CK they may play him in hopes that he can score and up his value?
- Jul 28, 2011
- 17,194
- 12,068
Why would you buyout Panarin? We're not saving much. Subtracting Panarin and adding nobody only makes sense if you think the team is magically going to all play differently and be better for it. They aren't going to trade buy him out to tank before the season starts.
Thats sort of the point. It gives kids ice time and if we want to take a step back, next year has a few potential studs at the top of the draft. Namely McKenna.
So laf gets to play more and lead, and perreault will get to play and not defer to panarin. And if we end up bad, we can potentially draft a franchise center.
Worst comes to worst laf and perreault get tons of ice time.
Would be the best move if Drury decides we need a major retool. And starts trading players. I mean i would rather trade panarin, but if he refuses it isnt the end of the world. Especially since i think it is his last year not matter what.
Cmox
Registered User
KirkAlbuquerque
#WeNeverGetAGoodCoach
And anyone 40 and over is a boomer
JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK
Twenty f*ckin years
- Oct 8, 2010
- 79,834
- 17,390
probably future considerations or a similar level bust at best. like keane for gauthier
Fitzy
Very Stable Genius
- Jan 29, 2009
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This is why if the Rangers win the cup I will stoically nod approvingly and then immediately start posting lines again.
Paulie Walnutz
HFNYR JUST AS SOFT AS NYR
- Oct 1, 2008
- 11,105
- 9,346
Can we f***ing stop talking about Kakko in here already?
Panned or glossed? There will be a circle jerk over this article by HFNYR.
JimmyG89
Registered User
- May 1, 2010
- 10,106
- 8,962
Kakko is the new Buchnevich, but the fact players leave and progress is something that needs to be looked into on a deeper level than anyone here can actually do.
This is not rocket science.
Except for unassisted ones, goals are a collaboration.
He can't set up Mika AND put it in net for him
STOP WITH FALSE NARRATIVES
has his game been signif off due to injury? yes
is he as guilty as those maligning him? no
I am famously the one here who, more than any other, said repurpose vets for quality youth to stay ahead of the curve.
We should have already done that with several others
That would be fair also as to Kreider too, EXCEPT,
IF WE ARE GOING TO BE 111% HONEST ABOUT IT,
his production to cost value merited keeping, unless we got an offer too good to turn down, which apparently did not happen
Stop w/misplaced negativity
Criticism to degree warranted is fair, and I won't complain about THAT
BUT
this batshit level stupidity of blaming CK for everything is unacceptable, beyond ridiculous, and I will call it out
e.g., no effort - effort is there he is physically impaired
also no assists
again, rest of the line is not scoring
at least he has goals so far
which is more than I can say for others
Borgen takes accountability and Panarin uses being tired as an excuse. Rangers should consider trading Panarin this deadline
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