Player Discussion Will Cuylle

[bhamill]

As far as raw talent, Kakko has far more. No question on that. However, in the many years that Kakko has been here, how many times has he scored a goal the way Cuylle did on the offsides goal? Zero. Kakko lacks everything Cuylle has as far as the attack dog mentality. Yes, Kakko is definitely better in those areas, but the kid lacks finish. Cuylle has a level of finish, or finish attitude, that Kakko just seems to have lost at some point. Cuylle just seems to make the most of what he has vs Kakko just seeming to fall way short of what he has. Cuylle is a middle six forward. Never going to be a 1st line guy and can definitely be a 2nd with the right line mates in the perfect situation. Great 3rd liner. Kakko should never be worse than a solid 2nd liner with the tools he has. He just doesn't attack in the way he should. He should be a monster coming off the wall and attacking the net and he seems like he is content to be a Craig Janney style playmaker.

Oddly enough, Kakko IS attacking this year. Which is why I think it will be easily a better year stats wise for him than two years ago when he had 40 pts. No finish? He had 18 EV goals as a 21 year old…
Love both players. Love them on the line together with Fil. I’ve wanted to see this combo since the start of last year. I just think saying that Kakko WISHES he was the player Will is is kinda nuts.
Listen, if Cuylle ends up having an even better year than Kakko has this year that will be a huge plus. I’m not looking to pit one against the other. I just don't think Cuylle is as good an NHLer as Kakko, and Kakko was ahead of him at his age as well. Despite not living up to his draft position. Right now that 50-72-24 line is line 2. So IMO they are both 2nd line wingers. At least for now. Guess we will see if they can maintain. I think they can. A lot will depend on Fil staying healthy.

 

[bhamill]

Cuylle and Kakko COMPLIMENT eachother. It shouldn't be a one or the other, it's both. Cuylle has the straight line speed and strength to get in on the forecheck but Kakko has the puck protection and strength to win the puck and make a play with it. Chytil being the puck transporter just works on that line too.

Yup. Their strengths and skill sets compliment each other. All three of them. I’m thrilled this has become a line this year.

 

[GAGLine]

Cuylle needs a miracle to become a top6 player lol.

I don't understand this line of thinking. What is it about Cuylle that suggests to you, or anyone else, that he can't be a top 6 player?

Is it because he's more of a grinder than a dangler? Maybe he won't be the type of player who drives a line, but why can't he be a guy who compliments other good players? Why can't he be a 30/60 guy, or better?

 

[NYR Viper]

I don't understand this line of thinking. What is it about Cuylle that suggests to you, or anyone else, that he can't be a top 6 player?

Is it because he's more of a grinder than a dangler? Maybe he won't be the type of player who drives a line, but why can't he be a guy who compliments other good players? Why can't he be a 30/60 guy, or better?

He very easily could be that type of guy. His production in Hartford, as a rookie, suggests that he could be that 2nd/3rd line power forward winger. I really hate line numbering anyways. For all intents and purposes that Chytil line is the 2nd line on this team right now at 5v5

 

[bhamill]

I don't understand this line of thinking. What is it about Cuylle that suggests to you, or anyone else, that he can't be a top 6 player?

Is it because he's more of a grinder than a dangler? Maybe he won't be the type of player who drives a line, but why can't he be a guy who compliments other good players? Why can't he be a 30/60 guy, or better?

Honestly he’s a top 6 player on this team right now. 50-72-24 is line 2 IMO. We’ll see if that can be maintained, but he’s got enough upside.

 

[NickyFotiu]

LOL at the Cuylle and KK arguments. I have no idea which has a higher ceiling. I could see people say Will has the size and better speed. I can also see people say KK has shown good defense and a 20/40 season. They both flash good stuff but neither has put it all together (yet). It would be really cool if we could get 60-75 goals this season from that 3rd line though.

 

[noncents]

Cuylle has a level of finish, or finish attitude, that Kakko just seems to have lost at some point.

https://media.tenor.com/jNzyLSukKuEAAAAM/ironic-star-wars.gif

 

[CTRanger]

Kid is legit. I don’t understand the no top 6 upside? He does everything well, maybe nothing elite, but he can skate really well, especially for a 6’3” 210+ 22yo. He has a real good shot, plays 200’ and hits everything. Put up 50 pts in 87 AHL games including the Covid no OHL year when he was only 19. He’s been a point producer at every level he’s played. He’s dripping with top 6 potential IMHO. He’s 22yo!

 

[savebyrichter94]

Bill Cool ain’t no fool, love this guy!

 

[RempireStateBuilding]

Kid is legit. I don’t understand the no top 6 upside? He does everything well, maybe nothing elite, but he can skate really well, especially for a 6’3” 210+ 22yo. He has a real good shot, plays 200’ and hits everything. Put up 50 pts in 87 AHL games including the Covid no OHL year when he was only 19. He’s been a point producer at every level he’s played. He’s dripping with top 6 potential IMHO. He’s 22yo!

He probably will be able to play up and down the lineup with relatively little issue, but then (and maybe this is just among these boards) the second a player starts doing well-ish, all the talk surrounding them shifts to 1 of like 3 things: They *have* to immediately be moved up and throw every line out of whack just to "see what he can do"; Is their ceiling *actually* an 80 point player if they just got more minutes and played the PP?; Is their ceiling *actually* an 80 point player if they just weren't anchored by bad linemates? Not saying anyone said Cuylle's an 80 point player, just an example of the sorts of convos that I feel I've seen regarding other players. If he maxes out as a middle 6er that mainly plays on an energy/checking 3rd line, that's fine - every team needs that. NYR need that. He doesn't need to be shoehorned into the 1st/2nd line at all costs because he's looked good in the role he's in now against the competition he's played against.

Spells in the top 6? Sure, I can see it. A consistent spot in the top 6? Might be a bit of a stretch. Would love to be proved wrong/shown otherwise though.

 

[bhamill]

Spells in the top 6? Sure, I can see it. A consistent spot in the top 6? Might be a bit of a stretch. Would love to be proved wrong/shown otherwise though.

Right now is one of those spells. Let’s see how it goes.

 

[WojtekWolski86]

I disagree. We’re hoping Will has a 40 point season, Kakko already has, did it a year younger than Cuylle is now. Kakko is head and shoulders above Will on D and possession. Will is a far superior hitter but both are good forecheckers, Kakko being better at actually getting the puck. They have similarities and differences but most objective observers would likely agree that Kakko is the better overall player right now AND has a higher ceiling.
This isn’t a knock on Cuylle. Love him as a player, but saying he’s ahead of Kakko is kind of wild to me. Think this is just frustration at Kakko's not looking like a 2OA tainting the comparison.

Their line was made in NHL 2001 when you got a boost for playing a sniper, playmaker and grinder together.

 

[Charlie Conway]

Their line was made in NHL 2001 when you got a boost for playing a sniper, playmaker and grinder together.

Pretty much. Need someone to do the dirty work on that line, and they each bring a different element of that. For what Kakko can do along the boards and defensively, Cuylle can do with his physical game. Fil has the skating ability, and Cuylle can not only keep up, but he has some finish.

Cuylle is an interesting kind of power-forward because he has all of the tools and is consistently NHL-level with them.

He works hard at both ends, is able to score, and he'll hit anything that moves. Not as fast as Kreider, not as ruthless/reckless as Wilson, not as much of a scorer as a guy like Rick Nash, not as much of a 2-way game as Mark Stone....he just does everything at a pretty good level with the possibility of moving into above-average in some of those areas.

As for Kakko v. Cuylle, totally different players, so a comparison makes little sense to me.

 

[bhamill]

Pretty much. Need someone to do the dirty work on that line, and they each bring a different element of that. For what Kakko can do along the boards and defensively, Cuylle can do with his physical game. Fil has the skating ability, and Cuylle can not only keep up, but he has some finish.

Cuylle is an interesting kind of power-forward because he has all of the tools and is consistently NHL-level with them.

He works hard at both ends, is able to score, and he'll hit anything that moves. Not as fast as Kreider, not as ruthless/reckless as Wilson, not as much of a scorer as a guy like Rick Nash, not as much of a 2-way game as Mark Stone....he just does everything at a pretty good level with the possibility of moving into above-average in some of those areas.

As for Kakko v. Cuylle, totally different players, so a comparison makes little sense to me.

Yup. They are complimentary players, not comparable for each other.

 

[mike14]

1st in 5v5 goals, t-3rd in 5v5 assists, and tied 2nd in 5v5 points with Laf, 1 behind Panarin.
Impressive 14 game run

 

[RangersFan1994]

Andersson for that Kongs 2ed round pick to select Cuylle has to be one of the better trades in Rangers history. Highway robbery

1st in 5v5 goals, t-3rd in 5v5 assists, and tied 2nd in 5v5 points with Laf, 1 behind Panarin.
Impressive 14 game run

And why isn't he getting PP2 ice time? He deserves it

 

[Chytilmania]

Andersson for that Kongs 2ed round pick to select Cuylle has to be one of the better trades in Rangers history. Highway robbery


And why isn't he getting PP2 ice time? He deserves it

Cuylle should be all over Kreider during practice and during the offseason. He’s consistently been one of our best players. Always brings it.

Two goals disallowed too right?

 

[RangersFan1994]

Cuylle should be all over Kreider during practice and during the offseason. He’s consistently been one of our best players. Always brings it.

Two goals disallowed too right?

Gonna need Kreider's front net presence replacement for whenever he retires. Kreoder isn't gonna be here forever

Cuylle currently 4th in goals and 4th in points right now.

 

[Harbour Dog]

Andersson for that Kongs 2ed round pick to select Cuylle has to be one of the better trades in Rangers history. Highway robbery

I think there is a distinction to be made here that would make us all better at evaluating trades and drafting.

1) Trading Andersson for a 2nd rounder was a good trade for us. His value was almost certainly a round or two lower than that at the time.

2) Cuylle is a slam dunk of a late 2nd round pick. 9.5/10, no takesie-backsies.

3) This should not equate to us fleecing Los Angeles any more or less in the trade. Maybe we could make some correlation if it was draft day and we made the trade to move up, or when it started to look like a guy we wanted was falling.

Otherwise, as is the case here, it's two mostly independent events. We won a trade against Los Angeles (maybe by like +40 draft spots or something like that), and we made a great draft pick.

 

[Ben Grimm]

I added Cuylle today in a 10-team league!

 

[Raspewtin]

he's going to break last year's point total awful quick at this rate. he's fit like an absolute glove with Chytil and Kakko

 

[LeetchisGod]

I added Cuylle today in a 10-team league!

I picked him up weeks ago in a 20 team league. He's an automatic starter at this point.

 

[Lion Hound]

Cuylle was a guy that i didn't even pencil into the lineup as a sure thing. Always liked the player but was thinking maybe a Berard, or Othman would push him out and that maybe he didn't have enough game to stick around in a middle 6 role.

He's totally proving that thinking wrong.

Early on there were a lot of posts about Chytil. Posts that Chytil was driving that entire line. Maybe he is. He is playing at a high level, however... i think Cuylle is bringing them together. Feel like he's drawing the personality out on Kakko. Loved watching the two of them reviewing their play on the IPAD last night.

 

[LeetchisGod]

I love everything that I'm seeing from this kid. Had a great rookie season and has improved a ton so far this year.

 

[Captain Monglobster]

This kid is a gem, his ceiling is higher than I thought.