Prospect Info: The Second Overall Pick Thread: Part II (Kakko/Hughes Talk)

[darko]

Imagine we draft Kakko and he has 24 points in 50-odd games as a rookie and 36 in 71 in his 2nd season like Barkov did. Be interesting if people turn on him.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Imagine we draft Kakko and he has 24 points in 50-odd games as a rookie and 36 in 71 in his 2nd season like Barkov did. Be interesting if people turn on him.

"but Barzal had so many points as a rookie!"

You know it'll happen

 

[Fugazy]

Imagine we draft Kakko and he has 24 points in 50-odd games as a rookie and 36 in 71 in his 2nd season like Barkov did. Be interesting if people turn on him.

A number of fans are ready to turn on Chytil and Andersson on extremely limited sample sizes. I’d expect similar reactions for Kakko if that were to happen.

 

[romba]

Daily ritual:

Wake up and double check this thread continues to exist.

Once confirmed, check if it's October yet.

Not yet? Then time to wonder what happens if the Devils take Kakko #1 and realize we would get Hughs.

*hits snooze with a smile*.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Imagine we draft Kakko and he has 24 points in 50-odd games as a rookie and 36 in 71 in his 2nd season like Barkov did. Be interesting if people turn on him.

This is where I’m coming from when I try to temper the projections of him being a top line winger right away

 

[AIexisLafreniereNYR]

It still haven’t hit me that we have two top 10 prospects in all of the NHL. And one true game breaking talent.

I think Kakko will be better than advertised. I hope the Mets have a good year, and I have tons of trips. Because I was this summer over with already.

 

[romba]

It is, the only thing he lacks is breakaway speed.

It's not something that will hold him back, but it is something that would make him all the more difficult to handle moving forward.

What makes me hopeful that its there is that he isn't physically mature yet.

Breakaway speed is great but overrated imo. Honestly I recall Buch having more breakaways this year than CK. Sure CK has more 'streaking down the wing a step ahead of the D' moments, in fact generally 1-2 times/game which is great, but clear cut breakaways down the middle are rare for CK due to solid positioning of the D, and CK's hands also make it tough for him to come through center ice. Buch otoh has the hockey sense and hands to scent when the D covering him are a little lackadaisical and flat footed and Buch will seem to be doing nothing one second, the next he'll be breaking at just the right moment to end up a step ahead of the D just as the pass hitts him, while also remaining juuuuust on side to receive the pass as well, it's a thing of beauty actually to just get to that point. A step ahead down the middle of the ice is much more effective than along the boards where the goalie can sense when/where the D will cut the play off, or if the shot will need to be rushed or the puck carried around the net as he often ends up doing in order to maintain possession before being closed off.

Hockey smarts. agility, hands and acceleration matter so much more in today's NHL imo, but straight ahead speed is fun and sexy to watch.

 

[brians1128]

I really wanted Hughes, if we get Kakko I still want to get one of those small shifty players like Gaudreau. Any other prospects in this draft who fit the bill or young roster players on other teams we could target?
I know Caufields small but apparently many say he’s not very fast

Leevi Aaltonen

 

[broadwayblue]

It still haven’t hit me that we have two top 10 prospects in all of the NHL. And one true game breaking talent.

I think Kakko will be better than advertised. I hope the Mets have a good year, and I have tons of trips. Because I was this summer over with already.

Make now always the most precious time.

 

[Inferno]

Imagine we draft Kakko and he has 24 points in 50-odd games as a rookie and 36 in 71 in his 2nd season like Barkov did. Be interesting if people turn on him.

Is this a lias' Andersson shot?

Lias' didn't have 25 in 50 or 36 in 71.. he's got 8 pts in 49 games. 8.

 

[romba]

Is this a lias' Andersson shot?

Lias' didn't have 25 in 50 or 36 in 71.. he's got 8 pts in 49 games. 8.

Not directed at Lias at all I think, just a 'what-if' scenario that's possible, seems like to me. Some highly touted guys take a season or two to adjust to the NHL from Europe ala Barkov and some other oft-noted Russian rising superstars.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

A number of fans are ready to turn on Chytil and Andersson on extremely limited sample sizes. I’d expect similar reactions for Kakko if that were to happen.

Oh absolutely.

The Lias thread is very entertaining. Helps me figure out who to take serious on the boards or not.

 

[Larrybiv]

Probably 2nd behind Lafreniere

Regardless on whether or not Kakko makes a huge contribution next year, I am kind of thinking we probably still, will be near the bottom 3rd in the league, therefore entitling us to another lottery position. And since we all like to play "what if" here.......

"What if" we somehow got even luckier in 2020 draft and got Lafreniere? Also, "what if" Zuccha signs, Dallas but doesnt make the PO's.......then we would have 2 chances right?

Yeah, what if we did get Lafreniere? Any responses?

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Regardless on whether or not Kakko makes a huge contribution next year, I am kind of thinking we probably still, will be near the bottom 3rd in the league, therefore entitling us to another lottery position. And since we all like to play "what if" here.......

"What if" we somehow got even luckier in 2020 draft and got Lafreniere? Also, "what if" Zuccha signs, Dallas but doesnt make the PO's.......then we would have 2 chances right?

Yeah, what if we did get Lafreniere? Any responses?

If we add Lafreniere, 2 things will happen:

- Rangers win a Cup in the next 5 years
- The entire league will hate us and call the lottery rigged in our favor

 

[Thirty One]

If we add Lafreniere, 2 things will happen:

- Rangers win a Cup in the next 5 years
- The entire league will hate us and call the lottery rigged in our favor

- Their tears will taste delicious.

 

[True Blue]

"but Barzal had so many points as a rookie!"

You know it'll happen

What will happen is we will see a lot of "Told you it should have been Turcotte" posts.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

What will happen is we will see a lot of "Told you it should have been Turcotte" posts.

These are the same people who claimed we messed up by picking Kreider over Schroeder and Josefson?

 

[offdacrossbar]

i dont see the nash/kakko thing at all. that thought makes me want to draft hughes.

nash was always very mechanical and seemed to play more of a finesse game nearer the walls, especially when he was here mostly stealing money from the organization.

nash couldn't hit the water from the beach most nights. his shot was a limp noodle and he seemed to go 6 hole every time he had a shot. even at his NYR best, nash always looked like a secondary player to me.

i really hope KK is nothing like rick nash. i see more young jagr or kovalev there. hoping im right.

 

[romba]

i dont see the nash/kakko thing at all. that thought makes me want to draft hughes.

nash was always very mechanical and seemed to play more of a finesse game nearer the walls, especially when he was here mostly stealing money from the organization.

nash couldn't hit the water from the beach most nights. his shot was a limp noodle and he seemed to go 6 hole every time he had a shot. even at his NYR best, nash always looked like a secondary player to me.

i really hope KK is nothing like rick nash. i see more young jagr or kovalev there. hoping im right.

Agreed. Nash, while a big boy, was not super strong where he could just close someone off the wall with his butt like Jagr and maintain possition through a hit/bump. He would need to turn his butt to seem to make that move, and then quickly adjust back and hope to catch the defender napping. It worked less and less as he got older and the league caught on.

I also recall him having a ton of chances during one big game towards the season's end when we were playoff bound, he finally scored on his last chance at the end of the game, a big goal no doubt, he was on his off wing (lefty shot on the right side) for an open shot from 15 feet out, and he slipped it 6 hole far side (between the blocker and body). He said when interviewed after the game, he'd been trying for that placement all night and eventually got lucky with one. It does occasionally work, but roofing it or going 5 hole seems wayyyy more successful to go for in today's NHL. I always figured 6 hole kind of accidentally happened when trying to roof it, goalie was just in excellent position far out of their crease, but undisciplined with their arm(s). Player aims to roof the puck, due to aggressive positioning of the goalie far outside his crease the puck would normally hit upper chest area, but the 6 hole between body and arm was left a smidge open and the puck sneaks through and ends up where player originally aimed- the roof. Actually aiming for 6 hole seems inefficient to me but what do I know.

 

[haveandare]

i dont see the nash/kakko thing at all. that thought makes me want to draft hughes.

nash was always very mechanical and seemed to play more of a finesse game nearer the walls, especially when he was here mostly stealing money from the organization.

nash couldn't hit the water from the beach most nights. his shot was a limp noodle and he seemed to go 6 hole every time he had a shot. even at his NYR best, nash always looked like a secondary player to me.

i really hope KK is nothing like rick nash. i see more young jagr or kovalev there. hoping im right.

Nash scored 41 goals in his second year in the NHL... you're letting his twilights years performance here cloud your judgement of him as a young player. As a young kid he was a bull and used size and absolutely insane hands to attack the net regularly.

When will people stop being shocked that the last years of a players UFA retirement deal end up ugly? It's going to happen 90% of the time, that doesn't mean the player had a bad career or those years are in any way indicative of the players prime.

 

[McRanger]

Nash scored 41 goals in his second year in the NHL... you're letting his twilights years performance here cloud your judgement of him as a young player. As a young kid he was a bull and used size and absolutely insane hands to attack the net regularly.

When will people stop being shocked that the last years of a players UFA retirement deal end up ugly? It's going to happen 90% of the time, that doesn't mean the player had a bad career or those years are in any way indicative of the players prime.

Dreading Kakko ending up like Nash while hoping he's Kovalev is... weird.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Dreading Kakko ending up like Nash while hoping he's Kovalev is... weird.

Nash >>> Kovalev

But people compare Nash' Rangers years to Kovalev's Rangers years

 

[Tawnos]

Nash >>> Kovalev

But people compare Nash' Rangers years to Kovalev's Rangers years

Nash's Rangers years > Kovalev's Rangers years, with the exception of the 93-94 and 94-95 playoffs.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Nash's Rangers years > Kovalev's Rangers years, with the exception of the 93-94 and 94-95 playoffs.

And people remember those 1994 play offs for obvious reasons

 

[Tawnos]

And people remember those 1994 play offs for obvious reasons

Well, yeah. But I think as a fanbase, our perception of the normal level of production we got from Kovalev is inflated.