Player Discussion Kaapo Kakko: Part III

[EdJovanovski]

Kakko loses his breath walking up the stairs is my new favorite meme

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Kakko loses his breath walking up the stairs is my new favorite meme

is it really a meme if its true?

 

[NYSPORTS]

Kakko loses his breath walking up the stairs is my new favorite meme

after a flight of stairs

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Where is "here" and what makes you think that Covid is gone forever? People will continue to travel the world...there is no way to say that any area that is in good shape Covid wise today will be free of it tomorrow.

Atlantic Canada. Nobody says it's gone forever but as long as cases increase you will never get back to normal or close to it. We have had 3 cases in the last month, they were from outsiders coming in before they made the mandatory 14 day isolation police enforced and now back to 0. It's how you handle it until the vaccine comes along that makes the difference as to how well you come out of it economically. It's also why the NHL chose two canadian cities instead of US.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Atlantic Canada. Nobody says it's gone forever but as long as cases increase you will never get back to normal or close to it. We have had 3 cases in the last month, they were from outsiders coming in before they made the mandatory 14 day isolation police enforced and now back to 0. It's how you handle it until the vaccine comes along that makes the difference as to how well you come out of it economically. It's also why the NHL chose two canadian cities instead of US.

Here in Vienna (AT) we have followed instructions, saw the numbers go down, and early May we entered phase 1, mid-May bars opened up and now early July it's still looking good. Sure, there will be some slight jumps in cases, but that's normal. As long as there isn't a huge spike, things will stay the same. No masks, with the exception of public transportation.

 

[Thirty One]

I think Kakko would have had a better rookie season if he stuck with #45.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

I think Kakko would have had a better rookie season if he stuck with #45.

 

[Kakko Schmakko]

I think Kakko would have had a better rookie season if he stuck with #45.

same goes for Lias should have stuck with #50.

 

[CasusBelli]

Praying for a 20 goal sophomore season (assuming 80 games played).

 

[behemolari]

The CDC has stated that type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes are at higher risk for worse outcomes if they contract the virus.

We don't know if he is at more risk to get infected if exposed. But he is at higher risk for a worse outcome. How much I am not sure.

In addition to this, anecdotally the young people I have seen do poorly were T1 diabetics. Yes, they were not pro hockey players. But they were otherwise healthy individuals.

Source of this? You personally know people who were T1D and got virus?

 

[Irishguy42]

Source of this?

They said it was "anecdotally"

They are the source.

 

[behemolari]

They said it was "anecdotally"

And I said its nothing but fear mongering, hospitals are full of T1D kids doing poorly anyways, having COVID-19 or not..

 

[Black Aces]

And I said its nothing but fear mongering, hospitals are full of T1D kids doing poorly anyways, having COVID-19 or not..

You never claimed it was fear mongering until now.

For the record, it is not fear mongering. I was conveying my experience which I feel some would be interested since I work in healthcare. Just because you don't like what I wrote does not make it untrue.

 

[EdJovanovski]

Still got a muffin I see

 

[broadwayblue]

Sounds like KK is back with a bit of swagger. Sure would be nice to see him break out.

 

[Irishguy42]

Sounds like KK is back with a bit of swagger. Sure would be nice to see him break out.

Would love for Kevin Klein to be back, and with swagger.

 

[aufheben]

Sounds like KK is back with a bit of swagger. Sure would be nice to see him break out.

Where?

 

[ecemleafs]

Where?

on his face. dont know why broadwayblue would want such a thing to happen tho.

 

[behemolari]

You never claimed it was fear mongering until now.

For the record, it is not fear mongering. I was conveying my experience which I feel some would be interested since I work in healthcare. Just because you don't like what I wrote does not make it untrue.

Of course you work in healthcare its obvious, then you should also know better

 

[Maximus]

I for one am so stoked as too what I saw in Kakko tonight vs the Philes. I'm basically going to repeat what I said on the post game thread.

First off, Kakko too me looks like he's in much better shape than he was pre-covid. He looks like he might have bulked up a bit as well with some weight training. I was hoping and praying he'd do this over the offseason instead this covid break accelerated this. For Kakko, this covid break came at perfect time for him. Pre-Covid, he just looked gassed everytime out there other than at times on the PP when he could play off the half wall and didn't need to skate too much.

Anyways that's the first thing I noticed was that Kakko looks like he bulked up a bit. Secondly and just as important as this was a major criticism of him that I had, he not only kept up with his linemates tonight and didn't look gassed at all, whether it was with Bread or Chytil, Kakko looked like he actually had some burst to the puck something he never ever showed pre-covid. He really did look a bit quicker and faster too me out there.

Finally, Kakko looked like a guy who could be the sniper we all think he'll become as he was shooting the puck on net at pretty much every opportunity something he never ever did pre-covid. He was dangling the puck at times and deking by Islander players and really did look dangerous out there. This Kakko I saw tonight, is a guy who could and should turn into a perennial 30-35 goal 75-80 point guy down the road and the player we all thought we drafted #2 overall last year.

So yeah too me, this was the biggest thing that happened tonight and what I wanted desperately too see was this rejuvenated Kakko. This impostor who wore #24 pre-covid has been given the boot. The "real" #24 is going to be awfully fun to watch going forward as he's going to keep getting better and better.

I would not be surprised whatsoever if Kakko is a big factor in the Canes series and scores an important goal or two. Can't wait too find out!!

 

[nyrage]

I always thought his biggest issue was losing confidence after starting in the NHL although you can argue that his conditioning seemed to be just as big of an issue.

He was very hesitant before. Now he's shooting when he has the puck instead of thinking of passing it to a teammate. When you think about shooting versus passing, often you do neither. You just don't have the spacing in the NHL to be non-decisive.

He showed good signs last night. I don't know about being a huge factor vs Carolina or becoming a perennial 30-35 goal 75-80 point guy down the road, but we'll see as he gains experience, strength, and confidence. I want to see him drive to the net. That's where he used to score a lot of his goals. Baby steps though.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Kakko is so young. Really good things from him last night. I think the most important thing is he looks different.

He will have several steps of development in his career. It's obvious he's taken a step during the layoff. How big or small that step is can be debated but no matter what his output is in the series, if he continues that type of play it is a big positive for this club longterm.

 

[Crease]

He basically played 14 months straight of hockey with the hardest hockey of his life on the back-end of that sprint. It looks like the pause did him a world of good.

 

[Maximus]

I always thought his biggest issue was losing confidence after starting in the NHL although you can argue that his conditioning seemed to be just as big of an issue.

He was very hesitant before. Now he's shooting when he has the puck instead of thinking of passing it to a teammate. When you think about shooting versus passing, often you do neither. You just don't have the spacing in the NHL to be non-decisive.

He showed good signs last night. I don't know about being a huge factor vs Carolina or becoming a perennial 30-35 goal 75-80 point guy down the road, but we'll see as he gains experience, strength, and confidence. I want to see him drive to the net. That's where he used to score a lot of his goals. Baby steps though.

I dunno Rage, your being quite a bit more accepting of Kakko than I am. Kakko better become a perennial 30-35 goal 75-80 point guy down the road otherwise, he won't have lived up to his 2nd overall status in my book. Now when I say down the road, I'm not talking next year or even the year after....he only just turned 19!

I'm talking that when Kakko is in that 22-23 year old range, with his skill and expected continued development, he damn better be potting 30+ goals a year and over 70 points a year otherwise personally, I'd be wondering what happened with him?....lol.

That said, I'm comfortable and confident that I'll end up being right about Kakko and 3 years down the road those #'s I mention will be attainable and reached by him. For now and I said it on the post game thread, this Kakko that I saw last night...this new rejuvenated Kakko, I don't see any reason whatsoever that next season he can't approach the 20-25 goal 20-25 assist....45-50 point plateau. I think that's a reasonable and realistic goal for this newly engaged Kakko as he should have no problem taking that next step next season.

In the meantime, we have a playoff series to deal with and I want too see Kakko make an impact vs the Canes. The Kakko I saw vs the Islanders certainly should provide some impactful and important plays which is NOT something myself or any of us could have been confident of pre-covid.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

He basically played 14 months straight of hockey with the hardest hockey of his life on the back-end of that sprint. It looks like the pause did him a world of good.

Yeah, this is something people seem to forget. His Liiga season started in July, ended in March, with trips to Canada, Russia, Germany, Belarus, Sweden for different games / tournaments as well, then Euro Hockey Challenge in April, Euro Hockey Tour in May, World Championship in June, followed by the draft. He didn't even have time to attend the combine because he won the WC. Then prospect camp in July, training camp in August, with Traverse City and Pre season in September, NHL season starting early October and all the way through to March. 21 months of hockey with barely a week here or there to rest.

Oh, and based on my calculations 12 trans Atlantic flights in that span. And it definitely affects a player. Ask Erik Karlsson who played an NHL game in Sweden. He said in an interview it affected them for a while. Kakko was, in most cases, the only one om his team making these trips so the rest of his team (TPS, Rangers) weren't affected by this.

Yesterday was a great sign of things to come