News Article: Oliwer Kaski signed

The Zermanator

In Yzerman We Trust
Jan 21, 2013
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If this kid is so good why would he take this absolute team friendly contract from a lottery team? He couldn't get a better offer?
Nothing team friendly about it, Euro league FA imports don't get big bucks before they ever hit NHL ice. It's a 1 yr 'prove it' contract. The offer he got in Detroit is opportunity. Sign with Columbus or SJ and he doesn't see more than 5-10 games guaranteed. In Detroit he's got a pretty good shot at half a season or more provided he pulls his weight. If he's successful then next year he can go for the money.
 
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SimonEdvinssonAtSix

It's possible to commit no mistakes and still lose
Nov 2, 2018
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If this kid is so good why would he take this absolute team friendly contract from a lottery team? He couldn't get a better offer?

Because the ONLY contract he can sign is a 1 year 2 way ELC... that's why.

And why sign for a lottery team with a horrid D core? If i have to explain then you wouldn't understand anyways.
 

Steve Yzerlland

Registered User
Jul 18, 2018
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Because the ONLY contract he can sign is a 1 year 2 way ELC... that's why.

And why sign for a lottery team with a horrid D core? If i have to explain then you wouldn't understand anyways.
Thanks for the info, but no need to have the rude/aggressive tone....
 

Gniwder

Registered User
Oct 12, 2009
14,130
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Bellingham, WA
In the WC, he performed the worst in his own end and was one hell of a shinpad assassin, but seems he had a good season with his club team. I hope he gets the jist in the A but am a bit worried, as he was quite timid on defense.

As of now, I think Sulak 2.0 but hope he proves me wrong.
Was excited when I first heard about him but after watching highlights, I figured his huge windup isn't going to work when you take away time and space. It's gonna be even worse when he competes against faster competition on smaller ice.

Different style of play, but the end result might be the same. Sulak had some physicality which was good to see. I see Kaski as a polar opposite in that regards, which is not so good.
 

Flick of the Switch

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Apr 26, 2015
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How good did he do the in WHC?

Dumpster fire. Stood out clearly as the worst D in a very defensively oriented defense for team Finland. Played #1 D minutes and quarterbacked the #1 PP with many horrifying mistakes and puck losses, while failing to deliver the puck to the net even once. He shoots a lot, unfortunately struggles getting it past the first guy. If he continues that trend, he'll be on the ice for a couple dozen breakaways.

Didn't see too many Liiga games from him, but definitely not a physical player, even though he's tall, he's built like a twig, gets tossed around by Liiga guys, god forbid NHLers. Not all shit though, he did have a solid season and the MVP was justified by many, but how he can switch to the smaller ice... Left to be seen.
 
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Steve Yzerlland

Registered User
Jul 18, 2018
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Dumpster fire. Stood out clearly as the worst D in a very defensively oriented defense for team Finland. Played #1 D minutes and quarterbacked the #1 PP with many horrifying mistakes and puck losses, while failing to deliver the puck to the net even once. He shoots a lot, unfortunately struggles getting it past the first guy. If he continues that trend, he'll be on the ice for a couple dozen breakaways.

Didn't see too many Liiga games from him, but definitely not a physical player, even though he's tall, he's built like a twig, gets tossed around by Liiga guys, god forbid NHLers. Not all **** though, he did have a solid season and the MVP was justified by many, but how he can switch to the smaller ice... Left to be seen.
Wow! Thanks for this analysis. Hopefully he hits the weights this summer. All I've seen is his highlights which mean f*** all. All power play points. No skating, entries or anything I would like to see. I honestly don't have much hope for him, he actually looks worse than Sulaks highlight tape.
 

Artorius Horus T

sincerety
Nov 12, 2014
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I wonder what Devils fans thought of one 25 year old Brian Rafalski back in the 90's.... under sized nobody heard of d-man
from a league that no one knows a lot out of nothing from.

How that worked out???? 0.70 ppg in the reg., 0.60 ppg in the post, about +200 +/- in the reg., +40 in the post, 3 Stanley Cups, 3 time NHL all-star, Hockey Hall Of Famer (US)

Not saying this or that of what Kaski will do in the NHL but.... give him a chance before shooting him down.
 

Gniwder

Registered User
Oct 12, 2009
14,130
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Bellingham, WA
I wonder what Devils fans thought of one 25 year old Brian Rafalski back in the 90's.... under sized nobody heard of d-man
from a league that no one knows a lot out of nothing from.

How that worked out???? 0.70 ppg in the reg., 0.60 ppg in the post, about +200 +/- in the reg., +40 in the post, 3 Stanley Cups, 3 time NHL all-star, Hockey Hall Of Famer (US)

Not saying this or that of what Kaski will do in the NHL but.... give him a chance before shooting him down.
We're all eager to see what he's got, just tempering expectations.

As for the Rafalski comparison, he played on smaller ice for most of his career and was actually heavier than Kaski. Tall, lanky build is the worst build for hockey unless you're a goalie. 6'3" 185 is a beanpole, somebody better start feeding him some American hormone laden beef.

Plus I have serious concerns about his Pulky like slapper, waaaay too much windup. He's gonna have to adjust his game a lot. I really doubt he'll just step into a roster spot like Rafalski.
 

Ingvar

Registered User
Jan 16, 2016
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We don't have to rush him into lineup. Marinate him in GR, let him adjust, call him up only if he deserves it.
 

obey86

Registered User
Jun 9, 2009
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It's going to have to be someone more tempting than Bowey, and does anyone know if Green is actually planning on playing this season?

p.s. - Good on someone for changing the thread title.

Love,
The Thread Title Police

Yes, Red Wings have said they expect him to be ready to start the season. Read it in an article on freep.com or something.
 

obey86

Registered User
Jun 9, 2009
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If this kid is so good why would he take this absolute team friendly contract from a lottery team? He couldn't get a better offer?

Per CBA rules. given his status, he is only allowed to sign a minimum salary contract.

And he likely came to a lottery team because he has a better chance at staying in the NHL/getting playing time than if he went to a team competing for a cup.
 

Richard Gibson

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Dec 5, 2018
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Back in 2015, Western Michigan hockey coach Andy Murray took a young Finnish defenseman out to dinner, as he did with all of his recruits.
Murray and his Broncos coaching staff had helped arrange for the player, Oliwer Kaski, to come to the Muskegon Lumberjacks USHL camp. When they watched him, they decided he was good enough to play for the Broncos that year. And, sure enough, he did. But it’s the memory of that dinner that still sticks in Murray’s mind four years later, with Kaski now officially signed to join the Red Wings organization this season.
Oliwer, how would you describe your defensive style? Murray remembers asking.
“And he said, ‘No coach, I’m offensive,’” Murray recalled. “I said, ‘OK, we’ll accept that.’
“He defends, and he knows to get ice time you’ve got to defend,” Murray added. “But it was kind of a cute answer from a young guy, and maybe a little bit with the language too.”
Whether it was just a language slip or not, what Kaski said that night four years ago has not been wrong, either. This past season, playing in Liiga, the top Finnish league, Kaski scored 19 goals and 51 points in 59 games as a defenseman for the Lahti Pelicans, earning himself the Lasse Oksanen Award as the league’s best regular-season player. He then played on Finland’s gold-medal-winning national team at the IIHF Men’s World Championship this month, where his coach chose him to take a penalty shot in the gold-medal game against Canada.
That’s not exactly typical for a defenseman. But Kaski clearly showed enough offensive acumen to persuade his coach, and while he didn’t convert the shot, the fact that he was selected is telling either way.
“He’s definitely a new-age-type defenseman, in the sense that he’s gifted offensively and can move the puck,” said Murray, who has followed Kaski’s career even after the defenseman left Kalamazoo to turn pro in Finland early into his sophomore season.
“He just needed to get stronger, and I think he’s done that by just, age-wise, physically maturing. The big thing you’re gonna see with him, he’s got a strong belief system in himself.”
The move for Detroit to bring in Kaski has been in the works for a while, with director of player evaluation Jiri Fischer and now-former assistant coach Pat Ferschweiler both reaching out to Murray during their research process.
In a phone call with The Athletic last week, Murray observed that Kaski had matured physically from the slight kid he had recruited four years ago. He noted his on-ice presence, and the way he runs a power play — whether it’s from up top, ripping his “big time” shot from the point, or sliding down the left side for seam passes.
Detroit, whose leading defensive scorer last season was 38-year-old Niklas Kronwall with 27 points, could absolutely use that kind of boost in its system, especially from a right-handed shot.
“He visualizes (the) ice very well,” Pelicans coach Ville Nieminen wrote in a text message Tuesday. “He anticipates the game, knows what’s gonna happen next. Excellent passer, good shot. He has a lot of courage to play, and wants to play when the game is on the line.”
Kaski’s father, Olli, had a long pro career as a defenseman between the SHL, DEL and Liiga from the mid-1980s through 2000.
Oliwer, Nieminen says, is a “copy of him.”
“We knew his potential, and we knew he (was) gonna have a breakthrough season, but not like that,” Nieminen said.
Kaski more than tripled his point total this season, from 16 points the year before.
Nieminen added that Kaski took big steps forward physically this season, which is important because despite standing 6-feet-3, eliteprospects.com lists him at just 187 pounds.
His coach acknowledged that as he moves toward his next phase, Kaski will need to “play a little more defense closing gaps, (get) a little stronger in battles and (make) a little quicker decisions with the puck.”
“He will adapt to it,” Nieminen said.
Our Corey Pronman ranked Kaski sixth among his international, college and CHL free agents in March, higher than fellow Red Wings signees Taro Hirose and Ryan Kuffner. As you might have already guessed, Pronman highlighted his skating, puck movement and shot, as well as his power-play value. He cautioned, however, “I don’t think his skill is high-end, nor do I think he’s that good a defender or all that physical, which may limit his value if he goes to a tougher level.”
For that reason, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kaski start out in Grand Rapids next season to get reacclimated to North American ice, though he’ll likely be given a chance to compete for a job in Detroit out of training camp.
Kaski is also known as a gregarious, social personality who Murray says was one of the most popular players in Kalamazoo, and with whom many players still keep in touch.
That will serve him well as he adjusts to his new situation, with the Red Wings shaping up to have a crowded blue-line competition entering the season. That’s even before factoring in Kronwall, who is mulling retirement as a free agent but could also decide to come back for one more season.
Regardless, Kaski’s addition means another young defenseman in the picture for Detroit. That could be especially significant in a year, once the contracts of Jonathan Ericsson, Mike Green and Trevor Daley are all up, leaving the Red Wings with a sudden glut of available ice time. Top prospects Filip Hronek and Dennis Cholowski each got about half a season in the NHL in 2018-19, and both should take another step forward this season.
Cholowski stuck in Detroit for 52 games until his blazing-hot offensive start cooled and the defensive challenges of pro hockey caught up to him. Hronek spent some time in Grand Rapids early but ended up playing 46 games with the Red Wings and tallying 23 points — then, he followed it up by being named the top defenseman at this month’s World Championship.
As Kaski readjusts to the North American ice and play, especially defensively, it stands to reason that he may not get that level of NHL exposure in his first season, particularly with those two young players already battling for time. But he will be walking into camp with a Finnish MVP trophy and a summer of national team experience that ended with gold. Those should at least serve as reminders of his ability.
“Oliwer is a player,” Nieminen said.
Next, he’ll try to become one for the Red Wings.
GettyImages-1146389496-e1559131621214-1024x683.jpg
GettyImages-1146389496-e1559131621214-1024x683.jpg
 
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The Zermanator

In Yzerman We Trust
Jan 21, 2013
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Dumpster fire. Stood out clearly as the worst D in a very defensively oriented defense for team Finland. Played #1 D minutes and quarterbacked the #1 PP with many horrifying mistakes and puck losses, while failing to deliver the puck to the net even once. He shoots a lot, unfortunately struggles getting it past the first guy. If he continues that trend, he'll be on the ice for a couple dozen breakaways.

Didn't see too many Liiga games from him, but definitely not a physical player, even though he's tall, he's built like a twig, gets tossed around by Liiga guys, god forbid NHLers. Not all **** though, he did have a solid season and the MVP was justified by many, but how he can switch to the smaller ice... Left to be seen.
I have a hard time believing Finland's #1D was a dumpster fire considering the massive upsets they pulled off against Sweden/Russia/Canada. Why would his coach trust him with that responsibility?
 

Borlag

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Jan 27, 2006
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Believe it or not, the most notable things Kaski did was fumble almost all offense whenever he had the puck. Shots went wide throughout the tournament, couldn't hold the line on the PP to save his life, defensive brainfarts all over. That said, while it could be thought that a lot of the guys in WC were just having hot streaks, it could simply be that so did Kaski. His seasaon in Finland was absolutely mindblowing and that alone warrants him at least a shot. If he blows it? Buhbye
 

tellermine

Registered User
Oct 21, 2018
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I have a hard time believing Finland's #1D was a dumpster fire considering the massive upsets they pulled off against Sweden/Russia/Canada. Why would his coach trust him with that responsibility?
Dont really think he was nro. 1. There were at least 3 to 4 better.
He was quite a dissapointing.
His I ability to deliver pucks to the net was shokking.
Missed passes, fumbles etc. .
 

ChicagoBullsFan

Registered User
Jun 6, 2015
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Was excited when I first heard about him but after watching highlights, I figured his huge windup isn't going to work when you take away time and space. It's gonna be even worse when he competes against faster competition on smaller ice.

Different style of play, but the end result might be the same. Sulak had some physicality which was good to see. I see Kaski as a polar opposite in that regards, which is not so good.

Don't let one lucky season in liiga fool on you.
As you perhaps saw Kaski wasn't that good in IIHF worlds.

And that so called penalty shot vs Canada in gold medal game was a joke of century.
I wouldn't be surprised if / when Kaski is back to Europe after next season he's not that good what his liiga stats shows.
 

Oddbob

Registered User
Jan 21, 2016
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Don't let one lucky season in liiga fool on you.
As you perhaps saw Kaski wasn't that good in IIHF worlds.

And that so called penalty shot vs Canada in gold medal game was a joke of century.
I wouldn't be surprised if / when Kaski is back to Europe after next season he's not that good what his liiga stats shows.

Did Oilwer murder a family member, piss in your soup, bleed all over your white carpet? You seem very pissed with him, and the fact he is one of a million guys who signed a 1 year contract to see if they have what it takes.
 

dj4aces

An Intricate Piece of Infinity
Dec 17, 2007
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You know what?

If he does well, great. Excellent, even. We have a future offensive D-man.
If he doesn't do well, so what? It was an experiment. We signed him to a one year ELC, he'll spend most of the year in GR with a few looks in the big league (injuries/post-trade deadline), and maybe he goes home.

At the end of the day, it's a low risk/potential reward scenario.
 

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