Cousin Eddie
You Serious Clark?
- Nov 3, 2006
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Well to be fair I don’t think they’ve ever been wrong. Everything they speculate or give straight facts on is accurate.
RW Kaapo Kakko - TPS, Liiga (2019 Draft) Part 5
- Thread starter FinPanda
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Fonzieleaf
Registered User
For an 18 year old playing against some of the best players in the world and doing as good as he is is nothing short of incredible.
behemolari
öh¨ns-ä
- Dec 1, 2011
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All I say is Im definitely gonna watch all USA games from now, Hughes is going to be so much fun to watch being "on another level" compared to Kakko. Can't imagine how good he is. I must also has something wrong with my eyes didn't catch that earlier..
BB88
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- Jan 19, 2015
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I take it you haven't followed them much lately?
They added Q, their owner has said spend money, whatever it takes.
They are the clear favourites for Bob, who would address their biggest weakness, favourites for Panarin.
Q+Panarin+ Bob is one helluva offseason( if it happens), and you should as there are WC spots, and what you'd likely be competing in.
Hischier and Hughes
“I love to hockey”
- Jan 28, 2018
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No you shouldnt ‘take it I havent followed them lately’. Its more a boy who cried wolf situation where theyve been the ‘rising team’ for years now.
Ill believe it when i see it. For all we know they acquire zero big name free agents
Rangers79
Registered User
I mean, he was probably their best forward last game. Maybe he'll produce a bit.
Cousin Eddie
You Serious Clark?
- Nov 3, 2006
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You aren’t even better than Florida now and that’s without Panarin and bob. If we get both you are going to be easy points every game.
BB88
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Cardinal Smith
Registered User
Kakko could score a hat-trick in every game left in the tournament, and still go as the second pick. He's a winger and not from North-America, just how it goes. Tho a bit scared of him going to either one of NJ or NY, neither one has a good track record with Finnish prospects (Though there haven't been many)
Hischier and Hughes
“I love to hockey”
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Huh? I am a Devils fan lol
Again Florida can be very scary next year but my point is thats what everyone has said for the last three years. Once they actually sign guys like Bobrosvky and Panarin - then it will have taken the next step. That defense still needs work though
Rangers79
Registered User
I can't think of the last Finnish player the Rangers developed. Korpikoski?
Periwinkle
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- Apr 3, 2014
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Fun fact: Kakko and Korpikoski played for the same team this season. Although Korpikoski was out most of the season.
BB88
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You are pretty familiar with 1st overall picks so I wouldn't be that over confident.
Q alone was a massive add, and they will add someone and are clear favourites on Bob especially.
QnebO
Wheel, snipe, celly
- Feb 11, 2010
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Time not to get carried away by our (finnish) prospect (I mean the over excitement). He is good and getting picked 2nd is basically as good as 1st, hell get as much chance to play and proof himself in the NHL as he would with 1st pick. He is extremely good prospect, new kind of prospect for Finns also. Kakko is some kind of combination of Getzlaf and Sebastian Aho. Decision making and overall skating to me seems bit Aho like, but glide and puck protection Getzlaf like. Can protect the puck he looks very strong and balanced on skates even when there is alot of contact - which he actually probably is even tho he is "just" 185cm, basically ~6'2. Shot is not as good as Laines but in everything else hes actually better right now than Laine was hes pre draft year. Laine has the hands for big dekes and some times he gets em done beautifully, but was clumsier and still is imo. So we should be basically very excited but not go to overhyp. Pre draft, while its always little gamble still, it looks like Kakko is the next big thing and player in the production line of Rantanen-Aho-Laine-Barkov
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Should I go to the Hughes thread and leave a long essay of non-sense behind me where I'd hammer him down below Kakko, I would too come back not diplomatic, but humble as hell - that is if I even dared.
Now I'm sure I don't have to point out that pretty much every single person that posts here are more than well aware of what's happening in the world of NHL draft 2019 and the draft rankings that go along with it. So no, you don't have to explicitly point out every single title to make a point.
Sigh. There it comes again again, "generational". We don't need examples of players who've done extra work at the gym, who've gone through extensive skating exercises or who've generational whatever abilities or magical powers. So according to you Hughes has generational skills. Since you didn't include or exclude any of those attributes that he's supposedly generational at, should we assume he's a generational passer, skater, shooter, grinder and why not, a boxer? Like seriously, someone who gets any cents for writing anything in public, should leave this word out of the vocabulary if for no better reason than to sustain credibility. Lately it's been getting out of hands and reporters and tabloid writers certainly aren't helping out there.
Kakko not only played well but was almost the sole reason the Finns got two points out of Canada - a team full of NHL players by the way. Scored two goals against the best hockey nation in the world at the World Championships while he hadn't even been drafted. Then he goes on to annihilate Slovakia and that's 5 goals in 2 played games. He's currently sitting at #1 in the leading scorer's list (to the best of my knowledge). I'm not sure if you fully understand and appreciate how rare and extraordinary that is, not matter if it's only two games played. Meanwhile, despite of getting to play with Art Ross winner, Hughes has zero points. Like said, just a few games behind but these two have been on two different realms, only in this reality on a realm not favourable towards Hughes and yet you have Hughes on a full tier ahead of Kakko and you come here to preach about it. You must realize how ridiculous that looks, right (especially when Kakko has him beat in all of the head-to-head games)?
Yeah I knew you were going to come up with that. The most common excuse when a player fails to meet up the expectations. Of course as a reporter you should hold onto some sort of neutrality am I correct? Yet no where in these paragraphs after paragraphs have I read anything about Kakko facing Hughes two times by now in the world junior finals. Wonder why that is.Could it maybe be cause Kakko scored the golden goal in the last year's WJC and brought home the gold medal right under Hughes' nose? Or could it maybe be due to Kakko beating Hughes on both of those finals played and bringing home the trophy? For a writer to cover one prospects' achievements and leaving out crucial facts over the other, at some point one has to question the level of objectivity.
You've stated that Hughes does things on the same level as McDavid but you also included and I quote, (he has) "high-end shooting skills". Yet he's notoriously famous for possessing a muffin of a shot. So perhaps, just perhaps you have a slightly different or lower standards than I (or most people) do for what comes down to having great or elite shooting ability? Feel free to elaborate further because I seriously can't remember Hughes pulling out much if any hard time slappers from distance for instance that actually found their way in the back of the net.
Come again? It seems you completely missed the point or couldn't comprehend it. Just before you had openly stated Hughes being a tier ahead of Kakko, but then you follow up on that with a comment by saying that this (or draft order) could change if one displayed a better tournament performance than the other. So if you have a prospect that "apparently" is a tier ahead of another but that another has shows up with better results in a relatively short tournament. Now where's the logic in that? Actually, this contradicts pretty much any logic there is. There could be a number of reasons for player B to have better tournament than player A but if there was a tier in between them from the get go, that shouldn't change s**t. It wouldn't mean that the player B was inferior to player A, but rather that would imply that the player B was falsely evaluated in contrast to player A from the get go. However despite of your own opinions, that really wasn't even the case as they were regarded pretty much even at the start of this tournament ("51-49"). I suggest you re-read what I pointed out instead of wasting time writing up half an essay of something that is completely irrelevant to the point.
When you have a talent like Kakko, who's dominating men not only in the domestic professional league but on an international level as well and now has a track-record of excelling against NHL level of players, that's an exception to the rule alone. That something that just doesn't happen. And if it happens, it happens maybe once a decade or two. Laine managed to do that and Matthews had great tournament as well but right now Kakko is on a track-record of even something more. So you have your beloved "generational skill" player of Hughes, yet he's not as good as Kakko is at this very moment. So in all of your expertise where do you start drawing lines to which heights Kakko could reach and how beyond the world can you parallel Hughes into that calculation? One has no glaring weaknesses and had displayed greatness at all levels while still being just 18 year old draft eligible kid. Then the other one has height & size concerns and isn't exactly a great goal scorer and hardly a two-way player, but otherwise is a great talent. How are you going to convince that Hughes is not only a tier ahead of Kakko as a prospect but also has a higher ceiling? Like please, unless your agenda is to make me laugh, then get out of here already cause you've already succeeded in just that.
Right now the only real advantage Hughes has over Kakko is top speed, but this can be taught. As far as the skill goes, you could argue a case either way. Out of the two, Kakko clearly has far superior shot and scoring instincts despite of you're argument of Hughes possessing elite shot. Then at the same time Hughes is small, probably not even 170 lbs while Kakko has no size concerns whatsoever despite of being lanky which means he will only get a lot stronger and of course faster on the ice due time. I suppose I don't have to remind that size cannot be taught, but hey if that isn't a compelling factor or otherwise rather meaningless to you then that's alright. At the end of the day one has delivered home two goal medals in head to head games, where the other has deliver zero. In the real life actions speak louder than words but then again, I'm not sure in which world all the reporters and writers live in.
This is really the first time I really partake on this debate (outside the HFNyr) but since you brought this to Kakko topic, that finally got me boiled up enough. Now as for the invitation to read your articles, that's appreciated but no ty. I think we may see the world of hockey from different perspectives and I'm not quite convinced that it'd be worth my time. Also I think you may be too deep down the hype, missing a lot of details in front of you. I really do hope you open your eyes and dig real deep just to see what it is exactly that you're debating about. Otherwise if you plan to reply on this, I urge you to be specific and catch the point so it won't waste either of our times. Cheers!
I repeat that Kakko is a brilliant prospect. I am also quite able to agree with Jack Hughes' consensus status as the #1 prospect in the 2019 draft without falsely putting down Kakko. I am also quite able to laud both Jack Hughes and Kappo Kakko without putting the fans down who prefer Kakko.
I did not "bring this to the Kappo topic", I was actually quoted by a writer on this thread. I felt the need to respond to this writer, who was very cool about the entire debate -- he steered away from the type of baseless vitriol I am dealing with currently. I respect his opinion and the opinion of all Kakko fans since, as a draft/prospect writer who appreciates great talent, I am also a Kakko fan. What I wish to stress is that Kappo Kakko has all the makings of an elite hockey player, and Jack Hughes has all the makings of an elite hockey player. Both will be stars. Their stardom will be fun to watch when they play head-to-head, much like Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel or Auston Matthews and Patrick Laine. Players drafted 1/2 always share that type of connection to each other in peoples' eyes.
In a sense, you disrespect Kakko with your constant baseless insulting of Hughes. If Hughes is so mediocre, then why have the dozens of scouts which compromise the ISS and McKeen's and Future Considerations all agreed on him as the consensus #1 over Kakko? Why have all the major draft writers (any of whom would garner thousands of hits simply by ranking Kakko #1 and creating a controversy where none had existed) ranked Kakko as #2 behind a small, flawed player with a "notoriously famous muffin of a shot"? Is Kakko so bad that dozens of experts cannot risk putting him ahead of such a flawed risk as Hughes?
In fact, it's the opposite. Both Hughes and Kakko stand atop a very strong top 10 in the 2019 draft. And the word fact is important here. The opposite of a fact would be, for instance, "top speed can be taught". While skating speed can be improved, there has simply never been a case of a player with average to pretty good speed on the day they were drafted evolve into an elite skater. Thus, this would not qualify as a fact.
You stated you "are not sure in which world all the reporters and scouts are living in" for ranking Hughes first overall. Well, as someone who lives in that world, I assure you that both Jack Hughes and Kappo Kakko are elite prospects worthy of our admiration and undeserving of baseless, fabricated insults. As someone who lives in that world, I assure you that a Ranger fan or Kappo Kakko fan who gushes over Kakko's elite talents will get nothing but emphatic agreement from us. And hopefully we can all learn to live in a world where someone with the prevailing, consensus opinion does not need to face vitriol and aggressive conjecture from someone holding a dissenting opinion simply because they disagree with us.
Cardinal Smith
Registered User
Well damn it was Korpikoski, can't blame the Rangers for that one. I always remeber that Lauri Tukonen was drafted by NYR but it was LA. Before Korpikoski there was Jarkko Immonen but he wasn't really a prospect anymore.
It's so excited to see this year draft, because this year we have number one draft choice who are not maybe BPA. I mean that Hughes have higher ceiling, long time 1OA in public, high marketing value as an American kid and even relations with Shero and because those things he is going to be selected first. But do I sound out of this world if I say that right now Kakko is better player? Whole year in pro league and every single game I watch he is better than last time. So is Kakko BPA right now? It is quite interesting.
Anyways Devils need Hughes. They will get great player but also more importantly more attention to that team. Rangers doesn't need more attention, they have it already, so not so sexy named Finnish guy who doesn't speak English is fine to them.
All in all both are going to win. Both will get right guys to their situations.
Anyways Devils need Hughes. They will get great player but also more importantly more attention to that team. Rangers doesn't need more attention, they have it already, so not so sexy named Finnish guy who doesn't speak English is fine to them.
All in all both are going to win. Both will get right guys to their situations.
Loffer
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- Sep 22, 2011
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Pulju is an anomaly indeed. His assumed cognitive system could be labeled lingua-phobic, it seems to repel almost completely all new language skills and input thereof. I seriously think there must be some serious underlying dysfunction or disorder on his language acquisition faculties, probably grounded on organic, somatic, prenatal or whatever basis and etiologies. Can the chap even read and write fluent Finnish? He might suffer from a severe form of dyslexia and other linguistic-cognitive dysfunctions. Poor kid, he should hire a logopedist or some cognitive therapist to rewire his tangled language department.
Reijo Ruotsalainen comes to mind as just about the only good Finnish Ranger.
Amazing how you manage to write in this style with all your posts, that's dedication.
AmericanDream
Thank you Elon!
Kakko has looked awesome so far. I will say a bit of luck on a few of those goals (empty netters), but the fact that the kid is out there in the final minute is telling enough. He plays the game the way you want it played, strong and down low..to see him and Hughes doing what they are doing out there is something EVERYONE should be absolutely excited for. So many said the top 3 for this draft was not that strong, I kept saying WTF are you talking about?? I would take Hughes, Kakko and Byram/Turcotte over who went top 3 in 2018 and in 2017...I will stand on that hill for years.
I can't wait to see Kakko go against the US on Monday., the kid is riding a tidal wave of confidence out there and you can see it from a mile away. He will have no problems transitioning next year to the NHL, 50 points plus for his rookie season IMO.
I can't wait to see Kakko go against the US on Monday., the kid is riding a tidal wave of confidence out there and you can see it from a mile away. He will have no problems transitioning next year to the NHL, 50 points plus for his rookie season IMO.
Never really understood the bolded on why Hughes has a higher ceiling, either. Kakko's ceiling, absolute ceiling, is him making it as a center and becoming a 1C, after all. Kakko also would improve his skating significantly over the summers, like Rantanen or even better. He'd continue having his other attributes that he currently possesses. Because with ceiling we're being optimistic, aren't we?
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