The Devils are playing 4 games in 7 night for the entire season. Their COVID break screwed them.
I May Be In The Minority . . . But I Believe That Kaapo Kakko Could Be Selected 1st Overall in 2019
- Thread starter Blade Paradigm
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Pavel Buchnevich
Drury and Laviolette Must Go
His hands are probably the best tool in his game. He overuses his stick-handling due to how much he likes his hands. Look at the chance he missed last night right in front of the net. If he took a snap-shot off the pass, thats probably a goal because the release would beat Samsonov. Instead, he chooses to control the pass and stick-handle past Samsonov with no room. It was a dumb decision.
He needs to stop relying on his hands. Simpler, straighter lines. Drive to the net, stay at the net. North to south. He's a big kid and has gotten stronger in the last year, but I've started noticing that his go-to moves in the offensive zone are trying to pivot to the outside to create more space on the perimeter for him to stick-handle. He ends up creating a little space, but he's never going to be the type of player who can create a little space to then separate sufficiently from a player and beat them. It'll buy him an extra second, but he needs to realize thats all its going to do. He's still confined to the perimeter with the puck. He ends up trying to take bad angle shots that contributes to his very low SH% or trying to force difficult passes through seems.
Kakko should watch Buchnevich. Lafreniere should, as well. 28 points in 29 games. Lafreniere and Kakko have combined for 12 points. These are 1st and 2nd overall picks. Buchnevich was a 3rd rounder. They are naturally more talented players than Buchnevich with a similar basic profile as offensively talented left-handed wingers. Similar size and skating. Buchnevich probably doesn't even have natural the shooting ability of Lafreniere or stick-control in a close area as Kakko, but with the same athletic skills as them (6'2 and an average skater), he's economical about his play in the offensive zone.
And to belabor my point of watching Buchnevich, did Buchnevich not have the exact same type of scoring chance against Samsonov that Kakko had yesterday? The angle the pass came from was slightly different, but it's the same area he receives the pass and type of play. Buch scores from one-timing it into the net from close in, Kakko takes the puck in and stick-handles himself out of space.
Thats mostly due to that Kakko's D+2 and Buchnevich is D+8 (Lafreniere is D+1). But these guys absolutely don't need to have McDavid's athletic skills to make an impact in the NHL offensively. They are talented offensive players, but aren't effectively using their offensive skills. The lack of puck-luck contributes to their troubles to score, but the main reason they aren't scoring is because they don't yet know how to effectively use their offensive skills in the NHL.
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He’ll never be worth the second overall pick imo but far too soon to right him off as a good player.
Sure, that's possible. But it's also possible that, for example, a player who's not even made their NHL debut yet would be the best player of the draft.
Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
It's too soon to say this. The reality is this was a draft that simply didn't have any superstars that were able to come in and dominate right away. It's going to take more time for the draftees to make their mark.
Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
With forwards, how often has that happened? They play one year of college or overseas pros at most then break into the NHL - see Toews, Kopitar, Ovi, etc. Pretty much never. Guys like ROR or Pastrnak or Bergeron, forced themselves into the lineup. Barzal might be one of the few that spent two full years in junior but of course he wasn't the best player in his draft
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Yes. He really reminds me of Drasaitl/Getzlaf. He has the vision and the size. A bit of an edge too. At worst he becomes Ryan Johansen.
GAGLine
Registered User
- Sep 17, 2007
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With forwards, how often has that happened? They play one year of college or overseas pros at most then break into the NHL - see Toews, Kopitar, Ovi, etc. Pretty much never. Guys like ROR or Pastrnak or Bergeron, forced themselves into the lineup. Barzal might be one of the few that spent two full years in junior but of course he wasn't the best player in his draft
Kucherov? He didn't play in the NHL until his D+3 season, and only had 18 points in 52 games that year.
APVJ
Registered User
Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
By the time he hits his prime he's going to be on a rebuilding team so I think that might be tough. I'm not sure he's as skilled as you project either. We'll see.
How often has it happened that over a year after the draft the current best player is a 0.5 ppg player?With forwards, how often has that happened? They play one year of college or overseas pros at most then break into the NHL - see Toews, Kopitar, Ovi, etc. Pretty much never. Guys like ROR or Pastrnak or Bergeron, forced themselves into the lineup. Barzal might be one of the few that spent two full years in junior but of course he wasn't the best player in his draft
What? In 2018 Svechnikov wasn't a 0.5 point per game player during his second season, he was a point per game player, and Dahlin is a defenseman.
In 2014 Draisaitl was well above 0.5 points per game as well. And Ekblad was a defenseman.
Great point you're making with two drafts with defensemen as first overall picks.
Just for you, we could add "in a draft where the top two picks were forwards", if the point's so difficult to get otherwise.
The Gr8 Dane
L'harceleur
Nice receipt. Embarassing post
Jack finishes the season with 99 pts. Kakko has 98 career pts.
Smirnov2Chistov
EEK!
I never understood the hype Kaako received in his draft year. Not a critique on the player at all.
Kaako Kappo
Kaako Kappo
Which part of the hype did you not understand? He had a phenomenal Liiga season, playoffs and World Championships. The hype and draft position were completely justified at the time. Too bad his game has taken this long to transition to smaller ice. Hopefully he still has a couple more gears.
It was a totally reasonable opinion in their draft years. Grow up
Undressing NHL stars at the WC at 18 years old. Bedard shit in his draft year honestly. Dominating Finnish men’s pro league. Great at WJC
You must have been blind then.
Undressing NHL stars at the WC at 18 years old. Bedard shit in his draft year honestly. Dominating Finnish men’s pro league. Great at WJC
Nothing like bumping a two year old thread to internet dunk on a girl/guy you’ve never meant.
Sweetpotato
Registered User
The funny part about this thread isn't even the kakko takes, it's the pumping of other prospects tires that also didn't turn out that is peak hilarity.
I personally love a good thread bump and dunk. Too many awful takes go unaccounted for when they are eventually proven to be undeniably wrong a few years later. Also fun to go back and see various poster's thoughts from that point in time.
Castle8130
Registered User
- May 9, 2017
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Whoever created this thread should be barred from hf boards for life
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