Player Discussion Kaapo Kakko: Part IV

[Amazing Kreiderman]

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

 

[rdhstlr23]

How could anyone predict point totals?
BUT.. If starts playing the way he has in spurts, he's going to be a dominant player IMO.
You suggesting a 70 point player is bad? Lol
Even though he's not racking up the points right now, he's been one of the better NYR fwds and considering who he's surrounded by, that's impressive for a player that's playing on much smaller ice at his age.

His decision making is at a high level..

I mean, there has to be some level of measurement to hold expectations to right?

You can’t just be like - I bet he’s going to be a badass. That’s so vague. People think Marek Malik is a badass because of his SO goal.

There has to be some parameters here.

And I’m sorry, having nice peripherals and analytics doesn’t do it for me.

He has to actually score points.

BTW, I don’t think a 70 pt/season player is bad at all. I’d be great with that. However, I don’t predict that to be the case. I think he may have a career year there, but he is ultimately that 60-65 pt/season guy.

This is all about expectations for me. I was sold on Kakko being a franchise altering selection. He hasn’t been.

He was a prohibitive favorite for the Calder. He didn’t come close.

He was an immediate impact player. He hasn’t been.

He’s been better. He looks good...but he isn’t producing points. And he’s not doing it with our best player. I mean, I don’t j ow what to tell ya. I just keep being told about his expected goal output, his game score, etc. etc. along with his age.

Well...cool. I guess it’s too much to ask for our 2nd line winger to produce more points.

 

[Anthony5967]

I love how the argument for why Kakko wasn’t producing points was because he was on a line with Howden.

Now, he gets moved onto a line with our best player, our most skilled player, our most creative player, and the guy carries his line night in and night out, yet it’s now...Kakko and Panarin aren’t good together.

I mean, in my best Lebron voice...sheesh.

At some point, Kakko has to start producing points. It’s not happening on the PP, when he gets time. It’s not happening on a line with Panarin, one of the best players in the league.

I keep being told the points are coming though.

Yea, because he’s totally getting PP time like tonight. Coach put him out there finally and Blackwell scored but the group put together a hell of a plan to score. And tonight he was fine. Zibanejad and Kreider are trash and getting force fed 1:30 of PP time out of every 2 min PP. Sorry, but this is bs.

 

[rdhstlr23]

ah yes players career paths are already determined 80 games into them

Not saying they are. All I have to go by are the games we have and what I see.

I’m just as likely to be wrong, as you are. Hell, I hope I am. I hope Kakko is the guy I thought he would be.

 

[rdhstlr23]

Yea, because he’s totally getting PP time like tonight. Coach put him out there finally and Blackwell scored but the group put together a hell of a plan to score. And tonight he was fine. Zibanejad and Kreider are trash and getting force fed 1:30 of PP time out of every 2 min PP. Sorry, but this is bs.

Whats BS? That’s he’s been on a line with Panarin for a handful of games this season and has 1 point? Or that he’s been on the 1st and 2nd PP units and doesn’t have a PPP to his name?

I’d like him to be on the PP1 unit, exclusively too. No argument from me there.

 

[MysticLeviathan]

I love how the argument for why Kakko wasn’t producing points was because he was on a line with Howden.

Now, he gets moved onto a line with our best player, our most skilled player, our most creative player, and the guy carries his line night in and night out, yet it’s now...Kakko and Panarin aren’t good together.

I mean, in my best Lebron voice...sheesh.

At some point, Kakko has to start producing points. It’s not happening on the PP, when he gets time. It’s not happening on a line with Panarin, one of the best players in the league.

I keep being told the points are coming though.

The difference is Kakko’s entire line was dead when he played with Howden. Nothing really happened. Now we’ve started to see Kakko make legitimate scoring chances. We’re seeing strong possession in the o-zone and good shots and opportunities. He never had that when he played with Howden. He’s not scoring, but it ms not because he’s playing poorly. For many games he’s been the best player on the ice for us.

 

[Anthony5967]

Whats BS? That’s he’s been on a line with Panarin for a handful of games this season and has 1 point? Or that he’s been on the 1st and 2nd PP units and doesn’t have a PPP to his name?

I’d like him to be on the PP1 unit, exclusively too. No argument from me there.

Look, I agree with you that the points have to come and I do think they will but it’s not because he’s not creatin offense out there. He looks a million times better than last year.

 

[FireGerardGallant]

Not saying they are. All I have to go by are the games we have and what I see.

I’m just as likely to be wrong, as you are. Hell, I hope I am. I hope Kakko is the guy I thought he would be.

Well have you seen his last 7 games. He wasnt as gold tonight but before that he was easily playing as the rangers best forward

 

[rdhstlr23]

The difference is Kakko’s entire line was dead when he played with Howden. Nothing really happened. Now we’ve started to see Kakko make legitimate scoring chances. We’re seeing strong possession in the o-zone and good shots and opportunities. He never had that when he played with Howden. He’s not scoring, but it ms not because he’s playing poorly. For many games he’s been the best player on the ice for us.

I agree with this, but at some point, that has to start producing points, right?

Being the best player on the ice that doesn’t score, isn’t that nice of a luxury is it?

 

[NYR]

I mean, there has to be some level of measurement to hold expectations to right?

You can’t just be like - I bet he’s going to be a badass. That’s so vague. People think Marek Malik is a badass because of his SO goal.

There has to be some parameters here.

And I’m sorry, having nice peripherals and analytics doesn’t do it for me.

He has to actually score points.

BTW, I don’t think a 70 pt/season player is bad at all. I’d be great with that. However, I don’t predict that to be the case. I think he may have a career year there, but he is ultimately that 60-65 pt/season guy.

This is all about expectations for me. I was sold on Kakko being a franchise altering selection. He hasn’t been.

He was a prohibitive favorite for the Calder. He didn’t come close.

He was an immediate impact player. He hasn’t been.

He’s been better. He looks good...but he isn’t producing points. And he’s not doing it with our best player. I mean, I don’t j ow what to tell ya. I just keep being told about his expected goal output, his game score, etc. etc. along with his age.

Well...cool. I guess it’s too much to ask for our 2nd line winger to produce more points.

Look at this train wreck of a coaching staff that has no system or counter to any in game adjustments.

Proven vets aren't doing shit right now all because this clown GM can't put a cohesive scheme on the ice.

Within a structured system and defined role?

I think Kakko runs with it much in the way Svechnikov has in Carolina..

 

[Filthy Dangles]

It has been a point of discussion for his whole career. He just doesn't want to go longer. And maybe it's holding his shot back. But IMO you don't change to a longer stick at this point of career, and even f you improve your shot if Kakko would lose some of his board battling ability not worth it. He never was a sniper, but a playmaker who wins those battles against the boards.

Why would a shorter twig hold his shot back? It's all about feel and comfort, you aren't really sacrificing anything. They way he plays with those tight turns and stickhandling in traffic below the dots, I could stand why he'd opt to cut it down a little lower. Crosby does the same

Anyone got a video of his 3v3 shift, wanna rewatch it

 

[rdhstlr23]

Well have you seen his last 7 games. He wasnt as gold tonight but before that he was easily playing as the rangers best forward

My argument isn’t that he’s been playing bad. I agree that he’s been good.

My argument is when is he going to be held to a higher standard? At what point do we stop applauding him for a looking like the best player on the ice and hold him accountable to producing points?

 

[rdhstlr23]

Look, I agree with you that the points have to come and I do think they will but it’s not because he’s not creatin offense out there. He looks a million times better than last year.

Fair. I agree he looks a lot better. I hope the points come too.

 

[FireGerardGallant]

My argument isn’t that he’s been playing bad. I agree that he’s been good.

My argument is when is he going to be held to a higher standard? At what point do we stop applauding him for a looking like the best player on the ice and hold him accountable to producing points?

When the rest of the team starts producing as well
Also serious use on the power play would be nice

 

[Anthony5967]

Fair. I agree he looks a lot better. I hope the points come too.

He’s got the same point total as Zibanejad and it’s like night and day between both, in my opinion. While Zibanejad is averaging like 20 mins a night to Kakko’s 14-15? Maybe if those buffoon force fed Kakko PP1 mins every single time rather than give Zibanejad every opportunity, as well as Kreider, he’s have more points than both. Idk.

 

[Edge]

Why would a shorter twig hold his shot back? It's all about feel and comfort, you aren't really sacrificing anything. They way he plays with those tight turns and stickhandling in traffic, I could stand why he'd opt to cut it down a little lower. Crosby does the same

I'll be honest with, this is a big part of why I'm not worried about him or Lafreniere over the long-haul.

 

[rdhstlr23]

Look at this train wreck of a coaching staff that has no system or counter to any in game adjustments.

Proven vets aren't doing shit right now all because this clown GM can't put a cohesive scheme on the ice.

Within a structured system and defined role?

I think Kakko runs with it much in the way Svechnikov has in Carolina..

You might be right.

The easy button fix is if it’s just a system/coach thing.

The counter argument is look at the seasons guys like Zibanejad, Panarin, DeAngelo, and Strome had under Quinn last year. Was the system and issue then?

I don’t know. But, you could be right.

I just want to believe in this rebuild. And Kaapo Kakko is so GD important to it - whether it be as a Ranger, or a trade chip for a guy like Eichel. Gordon can’t screw it up.

 

[NYR]

And in such a short time, on much smaller ice and in the NHL!

He's going to be awesome in a few years..

 

[rdhstlr23]

When the rest of the team starts producing as well
Also serious use on the power play would be nice

Ya, I disagree with that dude. It’s easy to be good when everyone else is hot. The best players, the guys that carry a line, the guys you depend on are those that can produce when people are cold (like Panarin, and what was the corpse of Mika).

Again, he’s on the same line with a guy that is producing. Our best point producer.

 

[rdhstlr23]

I'll be honest with, this is a big part of why I'm not worried about him or Lafreniere over the long-haul.

Ya. I just can’t get stoked about 3v3 play. This is awesome and fun, but in the grand scheme of things? We need more in 5v5.

I can’t look at this and say “this is why I’m not worried about him..this 3v3 OT highlight.”

 

[Edge]

Ya. I just can’t get stoked about 3v3 play. This is awesome and fun, but in the grand scheme of things? We need more in 5v5.

I can’t look at this and say “this is why I’m not worried about him..this 3v3 OT highlight.”

I think there's fine line between saying, "Hey this needs to be better" and "Wow, this is concerning."

I get that we live in an age where we're being trained to think every issue has a clear black and white stance and there's not a lot in the middle, but these topics aren't quite that clearly cut.

 

[rdhstlr23]

I think there's fine line between saying, "Hey this needs to be better" and "Wow, this is concerning."

I get that we live in an age where we're being trained to think every issue has a clear black and white stance and there's not a lot in the middle, but these topics aren't quite that clearly cut.

Fair enough.

I think it’s a little different though, when the subject matter is a guy with Kakko or LaFreniere’s pedigree, as opposed to a Filip Chytil or Vitaly Kravtsov, for examples.

Expectations play a part and rightfully so.

 

[NYR]

You might be right.

The easy button fix is if it’s just a system/coach thing.

The counter argument is look at the seasons guys like Zibanejad, Panarin, DeAngelo, and Strome had under Quinn last year. Was the system and issue then?

I don’t know. But, you could be right.

I don't think it's an easy button fix at all.
I just want to believe in this rebuild. And Kaapo Kakko is so GD important to it - whether it be as a Ranger, or a trade chip for a guy like Eichel. Gordon can’t screw it up.

Those players mentioned did have career years last year but what have they done this year?
Staal has outscored Zbad up till this point.

I don't see an easy button fix.
What I see is a team that has completely tuned out DQ this year bc he doesn't know what he's doing and players are beyond frustrated.

 

[mrmovies779]

That shift in o.t was great.He had the puck on his stick and basically said"f*** off,this puck is mine"..and that pass to Buch was beautiful