Toggle sidebar

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

  • Xenforo Cloud will be upgrading us to version 2.3.5 on March 3rd at 12 AM GMT. This version has increased stability and fixes several bugs. We expect downtime for the duration of the update. The admin team will continue to work on existing issues, templates and upgrade all necessary available addons to minimize impact of this new version. Click Here for Updates
  • We're expeting server maintenance on March 3rd starting at midnight, there may be downtime during the work.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Edge said:
I’ll put it out there now:

I will be very surprised if Kakko plays with Zibanejad, unless he’s skating on the left side.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Ideally he's with a creative, left handed center. Zegras or Newhook would certainly be a nice fit long term, though perhaps Chytil gets another crack at that in the fall.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mac n Gs
Personally I believe Kakko is the most NHL ready draft year prospect Finland has ever produced. League wasn't prepared for Laine, which helped his point totals, but I boldly predict that Kakko will be 55 to 65 point player his rookie year assuming he gets top 6 and 2nd pp role from the get go.
 
Levitate said:
Laine is a weird case IMO, I think he's just a young really talented guy that had some success but after teams adjusted to him, struggled a bit at times. It's a constant battle to one up the other guys and figure out how to keep using your talents. In a lot of ways we should be happy if he's as successful as Laine, but I find their games so different that I don't think he'll have the same kind of challenges that someone like Laine has had. doesn't mean he'll be consistently better or something, just that challenges he faces will be different from what Laine has faced
Click to expand...

I don't know what to make of the Forthnight talk, sure its BS to a large extent, but doesn't it still seem like the kid also hit a bit of a rut mentally? Things went forward really fast for that kid, amazing success a few years in a row, he is still really young.

I remember when AO scored like 1-2 PPG during like a 40 game span. There were talk about how people had figured him out too. But before and after he is scoring the same type of one-time PP goals. But I do think its really underrated just how big effect Bäckström has on that PP. And Kuz too. If you overcommit to AO they will do a world-class job at making you pay for it. When AO plays for Russia, even if its with great players, its much easier to mark him because they don't have those set plays to take advantage of the ice that is created for AO. I am certainly sure that Laine could score a bunch, and would have if he was on that PP in Washington instead this season. Its not mystery to score goals of that PP position.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GlasgowNewYorkRanger
I have a very dreaded feeling the Devils will be taking Kakko. Admittedly, he would look damn good in black and red.
 
Edge said:
I think Kravtsov actually scored more points on the left side last year than he did on the right
Click to expand...
Mika 1C, Kakko 1LW, Kravstov 2LW, Buchnevich 1RW

I think that’s the ideal setup, early on. I want Zibanjead and Kakko together. The potential for utter dominance is too great.
 
Ola said:
I don't know what to make of the Forthnight talk, sure its BS to a large extent, but doesn't it still seem like the kid also hit a bit of a rut mentally? Things went forward really fast for that kid, amazing success a few years in a row, he is still really young.
Click to expand...

Yeah that's kind of what I was talking about. Things went pretty easy for him, his shot was magic, then teams started paying extra attention to him, gameplanning around him a bit, and took away some of those "easy" goals. But like you mention, it's also the rest of the team supporting him and helping enable him to use his skills. Probably a lot of things go into slumps including just plain bad luck.

The Fortnite stuff is funny but for various reasons. There's certainly a bit of a "damn kids these days!" aspect to it (what did they do back in the 80's? probably go out drinking and do lots of drugs), but at the same time it's a game designed to be addictive as all hell and people aren't immune to those things just because they're pro athletes. Even if it doesn't affect your physical training and prep, it can affect your mental prep and being prepared for games, etc. Did it have something to do with Laine's drop in production? I'm not going to make that guess but I wouldn't dismiss the general idea of stuff like that causing some issues in a players game.
 
KooKooForKakko said:
Mika 1C, Kakko 1LW, Kravstov 2LW, Buchnevich 1RW

I think that’s the ideal setup, early on. I want Zibanjead and Kakko together. The potential for utter dominance is too great.
Click to expand...

I'd go for it but it also has to be managed a bit, he's not a seasoned NHL vet yet even if he has been playing against pros before now. The NHL is a different beast and it's a lonnnng grind of a season.

2C is going to be fascinating next season. I wonder if Chytil can hold down that spot and up his production to the 40-50 point range. Might be tough with a rookie winger
 
I thought this was a nice, unbiased quote in regards to Jack.
Oneiro said:
As someone who would take Hughes over Kakko, there are a ton of things for Hughes to work on. He did create a ton of chances today, but we also saw what makes him very raw.

He tries to outsmart opponents who have the puck by putting his stick in lanes to predict what they'll do, as opposed to engaging physically and dictating the positioning of who he's checking. I get it - physicality is not a strong suit so it makes sense for him to avoid it. But he'll have to get craftier about checking at the NHL level. There's a time to play a blue collar game and it can't always be the last option in your toolbox.

I'd like to also see him follow up his shots more and offer better support to his linemates. His ability to get lost in the coverage is great, but it also forces his linemates to hold onto the puck more. Hughes is someone who might benefit from playing with a power forward type, but mostly, he needs to get better at finding seams for his line-mates to get it back to him. You see a lot of one and done o-zone possessions when he's on the ice. He's got the escapability and the hands to play a better game along the boards. Again, this is another facet of the game that requires him to just get physically more mature. But I also think a part of a center's development is learning when to mitigate risk and play a very boring, support style depending on what happens on the ice.

The good news is these things are the biggest wake up call for every kid coming up as a center in the NHL. Maturity from an 18-year old is great, and Kakko should be applauded for how well-rounded he is. But I look at what's superlative, what it is that I can't find elsewhere. Right now, Hughes has the best edges and skating of anyone on the US team and better than most of the players in the NHL. Being able to make plays in all directions, at all times at any speed is not a minor advantage. And I'd put his hands + vision on par with Kane, Gaudreau and Eichel. Right now. This kid is speed incarnate and luckily his talent lies in the things that will save him from being physically punished at the NHL level. Sometimes some talents or facets of a player are of such a great magnitude that the rest does not matter.
Click to expand...

I wonder if people would literally be upset if Jack Hughes fell in our lap.
 
Edge said:
I think at this point the 1-2 is set, short of something earth-shattering come out.
Click to expand...
I'd say barring a freak accident it's been locked since the start of the year. The only question is in which order, as while I still think Hughes go 1, Kakko has absolutely opened the door a bit.
 
RangerSeth said:
I'd say barring a freak accident it's been locked since the start of the year. The only question is in which order, as while I still think Hughes go 1, Kakko has absolutely opened the door a bit.
Click to expand...
I think Edge was implying that Hughes has been a lock at #1 and Kakko at #2 regardless of this small sample size and will not necessarily be reactionary.
 
Rangerfans said:
I think Edge was implying that Hughes has been a lock at #1 and Kakko at #2 regardless of this small sample size and will not necessarily be reactionary.
Click to expand...
I think Kakko's play all year has been this dominant. It's just been highlighted now by his tournament play.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Top Bottom