RW Kaapo Kakko - TPS, Liiga (2019 Draft)

[FinPanda]

Why he played in the middle on 5v3?

 

[kelsier]

He was everywhere today. Was pretty jaw-dropping to see how horrible TPS was in burying chances. Thought this was one of his best games this year by ease. In my opinion his team is making tremendous mistake by playing him with Filppula (who's not elite scorer) instead of playing him with Palve (elite scorer at FEL level) because he's creating something out of nothing nearly every shift and needs someone to bury them off.

Why he played in the middle on 5v3?

Not sure if you've noticed but he was dropped to second powerplay unit and I suspect the reason was that his skills go nearly complete waste just standing there in the middle. Filppula and Palve are on the walls so that leaves him the odd man out. I'd actually rather have Kakko take Filppula's place and have the latter in the PP2 instead, but you know, vets come first as usual.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

 

[Nate070]

Very interesting to see how he handles that

 

[DoubleGold]

So it has begun. If Kakko can adjust his game to C, he'll be unstoppable. Hughes better say his prayers.

 

[TheFinnishTrap]

TPS looks hilariously bad on breakouts, I've lost count on how many times they have given the puck up due to bad passes. Kakko needs to up his defensive game if he wants to be an effective center.

 

[DanM]

This kid will be good.....and I love his name!

Nickname.....Kak lol

 

[Kaako Kappo]

TPS looks hilariously bad on breakouts, I've lost count on how many times they have given the puck up due to bad passes. Kakko needs to up his defensive game if he wants to be an effective center.

Kakko is actually hilariously bad defensively. Not sure how that's going to fly in the NHL. The guy looks like he couldn't give less of a f*** when "defending".

 

[BleedWell]

Kakko is actually hilariously bad defensively. Not sure how that's going to fly in the NHL. The guy looks like he couldn't give less of a **** when "defending".

Luckily Hughes is even worse. Hilariously.

 

[TheFinnishTrap]

Kakko is actually hilariously bad defensively. Not sure how that's going to fly in the NHL. The guy looks like he couldn't give less of a **** when "defending".

With his stick skills and physicality he could be great in his own end, so it's frustrating to watch him coast there.

 

[Kaako Kappo]

With his stick skills and physicality he could be great in his own end, so it's frustrating to watch him coast there.

Could be junior mentality...wants to be ready to go....to score. Bleh.

 

[G0bias]

Not like I expected him to be flawless in his first game at C since what, August? Still, his line generated good amount of chances, went 74% on faceoffs and not to mention the excellent play he created that lead to the goal. I'd like to see him there a few more times.

 

[FinPanda]

Could be junior mentality...wants to be ready to go....to score. Bleh.

He'll get better at it. Longer stick should help him too, if he changes it some day. This was his first game at C this year so not expecting him to be excellent or even good in his own zone in a game that doesn't matter at all for TPS.

His faceoffs were very impressive. If only negative thing about his game is defending, he'll be a damn good player.

 

[TheFinnishTrap]

Could be junior mentality...wants to be ready to go....to score. Bleh.

Well, it's nothing unheard of with young players, offense is far more exciting than defense. Hopefully it will come as he matures a bit more.

 

[Hokinaittii]

I don't see Kakko being any worse defensively than Laine or Puljujärvi were. The only difference is Pulju and Laine had 50cm longer sticks they could use to cover passing lanes. Kakko also plays at 17 a lot more exhausting game compared to Laine and maybe even Puljujärvi so I'm not that concerned if he isn't playing with the same drive in defensive zone than in the offensive zone.

Yes, his defensive game isn't on par with Barkov or Aho at the same age but I'm sure he looks just fine defensively in U20s as he did earlier in U18s.

 

[1OApick]

I don't see Kakko being any worse defensively than Laine or Puljujärvi were. The only difference is Pulju and Laine had 50cm longer sticks they could use to cover passing lanes. Kakko also plays at 17 a lot more exhausting game compared to Laine and maybe even Puljujärvi so I'm not that concerned if he isn't playing with the same drive in defensive zone than in the offensive zone.

Yes, his defensive game isn't on par with Barkov or Aho at the same age but I'm sure he looks just fine defensively in U20s as he did earlier in U18s.

Matthews also plays with a shorter stick. Kakko is a player who can have reylly good defensive game when he understand what to do.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

So it has begun. If Kakko can adjust his game to C, he'll be unstoppable. Hughes better say his prayers.

Yeah.
But now we have to wait and see what plans Ahokas has made for Kakko's position in U20 WJC.

If Kotkaniemi stays to NHL roster Kakko could very likely be 1st line center in U20 WJC's.
But if Kotkaniemi is available and Montreal release him to U20 WJC's Kakko will be winger.

 

[clevelandcane]

Love this kid's name!! Hope he has a great year.

 

[Hokinaittii]

1:52 for his assist in CHL game.

 

[kelsier]

Yeah.
But now we have to wait and see what plans Ahokas has made for Kakko's position in U20 WJC.

If Kotkaniemi stays to NHL roster Kakko could very likely be 1st line center in U20 WJC's.
But if Kotkaniemi is available and Montreal release him to U20 WJC's Kakko will be winger.

There's absolutely no way you would know that.

I don't see Kakko being any worse defensively than Laine or Puljujärvi were. The only difference is Pulju and Laine had 50cm longer sticks they could use to cover passing lanes. Kakko also plays at 17 a lot more exhausting game compared to Laine and maybe even Puljujärvi so I'm not that concerned if he isn't playing with the same drive in defensive zone than in the offensive zone.

Yes, his defensive game isn't on par with Barkov or Aho at the same age but I'm sure he looks just fine defensively in U20s as he did earlier in U18s.

True enough. I didn't think he's defensive effort was there in yesterday's game. Then again that was his first game as a C at this level so I didn't expect all that much from him either. The transition doesn't happen over night and he's got tons of things to learn that comes down to two-way game while playing in the middle in particular. Luckily there are tons of veterans that can mentor him in those facets of the game. Hope this was the first of many games for Kakko as a C (although for the moment I would think he'd continue on the wing when going back to FEL). That pass was classic Kakko although for a minute there I thought the goal would get disallowed due to kick but guess there was not enough motion. Another thing worth of notice was him being excellent at the dot. They even trusted him to take the face off at the dying minutes before the penalty.

That must have been the worst game I've seen from TPS this season. Guess some of the veterans sat out at least based on the earlier comments? Watched two periods from a bad stream and didn't check the line ups for the game.

 

[koyvoo]

He will be

 

[Gsus]

1:52 for his assist in CHL game.

Another highlight play from him.. Damn he's going to make it tough in June.

 

[Killerjas]

Luckily Hughes is even worse. Hilariously.

Merkley wants a word.

 

[Loffer]

Kakko playing with a ”short” stick while Barkov and Laine use these clumsy rikes... what does this ”short” mean here? The stick kept upright ends somehwere in the mid chest area skates on? And Barky and Laine - somewhere around the chin, correct? What does th current understanding say about this mild controversy on ice? Longer or shorter? And how does it reflect changes in the game and stick tech over last decades/years? (And no, I am not asking Freudian reflections on this one.)

I recall there was a time when the skilled danglers preferred these short ”pens” (”kynä” in Finnish) and were called ”penmen”, or scribent, if you will (”kynäilijä”, in Finnish meaning a nifty dangler (think this Hawks Kane dude). Are these expressions and ideas all but extinct in the present hockey jargon, you guys who are in a day to day contact with life around and inside rinks? Do we still have guys called ”kynäilijä” and if so is the term still a praise or rather a blame?

Am I right assuming a trend towards longer sticks for the skill guys in the offense also? And why is that? Patrik wants to bend his stick like a bow and relase a bullet, I get it and Barky needs to keep his defensive numbers up poking the puck like crazy. But there is always the trade of between the reach (or the ”bend and bow”) and stickhandling, being nifty and fast.

Why should Kaapo change to a longer stick and why do some of you seem to think he will, as if it were only a ”matter of time”? Let’s not go over board here. Medium is usually the best, says the old wisdom. Ladies - let’s not go there either. Not now.

 

[FinnishSniper]

What is this bullshit about him changing to a longer stick? There is literally no way he will change his stick lenght drastically, as he has played his entire life with a shorter stick. You learn to play and adapt your playstyle to the length of your stick. Please don't make such stupid comments when you actually know nothing about stick length and how it affects for example defense. Shorter stick allows him to be much more aggressive with his stick in slashes and sticklifts.

Everyone's reading way too much into the stick length. I don't know if you guys have heard about this one guy called Auston Matthews. He's using an extremely short stick and I think he's doing just fine in the big league.