Yeah, Kakko was open in the slot for about the full 1 minute each time they were on the PP, yet they still try the cross-ice pass, that got intercepted like 4 times. He should play in the second PP much rather than just stand there for no reason what so ever.
RW Kaapo Kakko - TPS, Liiga (2019 Draft) Part 2
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Kaako Kappo
Kaako Kappo
Yeah, I know that, but it's pointless to have him on the first PP.
IMO they should play him at the backpost like Barkov in Florida. (If they keep him on the first PP)
Kaako Kappo
Kaako Kappo
FinPanda
Team Finland 2022 WHC champions
He is playing 2nd line C at the moment for U20 Finnish national team against Russia.
Getting really worried with his constant lack of production. Now both U20 national team games 0+0. I mean, if he can’t produce in junior international games, then he might not after all be the super talent that we have expected already.
I know that this is early, the season is long and those U20 games right now aren’t really that important. But if he doesn’t pick up his production soon in general, I predict that he will start seriously falling in the draft rankings. Just getting worried seriously. Real super talents don’t go through very long slumps, some slumps for sure, but not much prolonged ones from what he has already had now for a while.
I know that this is early, the season is long and those U20 games right now aren’t really that important. But if he doesn’t pick up his production soon in general, I predict that he will start seriously falling in the draft rankings. Just getting worried seriously. Real super talents don’t go through very long slumps, some slumps for sure, but not much prolonged ones from what he has already had now for a while.
1OApick
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Like Laine? If I remember correctly Laine had slump before WJC. Kakko coming off from injury could also affect. Im not worried.
If I remember correctly Laine’s slump was not really that long. There was some goal drought, that I remember, but I don’t think it was complete lack of production for very many games. And my point was also that if Kakko doesn’t soon start producing then his slump is becoming already quite long. If the situation doesn’t clearly change, he will drop like a fly in the draft rankings. Laine was super after his slump, so Kakko will definitely soon need to be as super as Laine was, to really hold on to being even in the the discussions about the top 3 ranked players for the draft.
I’m not sure if he after all has that kind of super dominating ability in him that Laine had. Doesn’t look that much like that to me at least. Some flashes at the beginning of the season, but now he has been honestly quite disappointing for quite long already. And he is not even recovering from a serious knee injury and the operation for it, which was in fact part of the reason why Laine had a more challenging autumn than spring in his equavalent season.
FinPanda
Team Finland 2022 WHC champions
He has been pointless for 4 of his last 5 Liiga games and tonight in his U20 team game.
He has 10 points in 16 Liiga games.. I wouldn't be worried just yet. Even the U20 tournament has two games left to play.
I haven't been able to watch any full games, but I notice his shot totals have dipped. He was regularly getting more than three shots per game at the beginning of the season, but hasn't exceed three shots in a game since October 13th. I read somewhere on here that he's been trying to pass more. Diversifying your skill set is an admirable goal, but not if it comes at the expense of what you're already good at. Kakko has found success in the past by being a goal-scorer who scores a lot because he takes lots of shots from very dangerous parts of the ice. He shouldn't be trying to reinvent himself at this point.
His recent penchant for holding on to the puck for a long time worries me too. Dragging the puck around the ice with a defenseman behind you makes for good highlights, but those plays rarely lead to goals. That's why when they do, they're so memorable. Sometimes going for a skate with the puck is just something a player does when he doesn't know what else to do with it. Some players (like Artemi Panarin) can make it work in the NHL because they lure opposing players into opening up opportunities for them to pass, but I'm not sure that this is the case with Kakko. Of course when he does go for one of his long skates with the puck, his teammates don't seem to make any effort to get open and ready for a shot, so his hands may be tied.
Hokinaittii
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Kakko still has few more games to go pointless to reach Laine's 8 game pointless streak which he had before the WJC, so I wouldn't stress too much if Kakko as 17yo player has his slump in November. Seems like many of our young players have had troubles after starting the season hot (like Kotkaniemi last year when he only had 2 points in October and then went pointless in the first 5 games in November also).
So yeah, I wouldn't worry if Kakko happens to have quiet period before the WJC, he still has a lot of time to increase his rankings before the draft happens. Even Laine didn't show anything out of the world before the WJC where his confidence really took off. Here's hoping Kakko will get similar kind of boost to his game from WJC.
Blade Paradigm
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Kakko broke out of his slump with a 3-point night in the final game of the U20 4 Nations tournament against Team Czech Republic. He scored a goal and two assists.
He finished the tournament with 3 points in 3 games, two points behind the tournament lead of 5 points held by Grigori Denisenko, Aleksi Heponiemi, Jakub Galvaz, and Vitaly Kravtsov.
Kakko played center in all three games, centering the second line for Team Finland.
He also led all U18 players at the tournament. Vasili Podkolzin finished with 1 goal, 2 points in 3 games.
Here are the tournament scoring statistics:
Hokej.cz - Scoring Statistics For the U20 4 Nations Tournament
He finished the tournament with 3 points in 3 games, two points behind the tournament lead of 5 points held by Grigori Denisenko, Aleksi Heponiemi, Jakub Galvaz, and Vitaly Kravtsov.
Kakko played center in all three games, centering the second line for Team Finland.
He also led all U18 players at the tournament. Vasili Podkolzin finished with 1 goal, 2 points in 3 games.
Here are the tournament scoring statistics:
Hokej.cz - Scoring Statistics For the U20 4 Nations Tournament
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Kaako Kappo
Kaako Kappo
Seems like he's playing with zero confidence right now. Bad passes, bad shots, no physicality or battling for the puck....really strange. Doesn't look like the Kakko i know.
Really? I didn't see the game, but his stats seemed encouraging. He had 7 shots on goal including 5 from the dangerous home plate area. His line-mate Bjorkstrad had a further six from right in front of the net. Filppula had just 1, but this was from very close to the net and he's more of a passer anyway. When you consider that it's been 5 Liiga games since Kakko last put over 3 shots on goal in a match, if anything I'd say that I find that good news. Or were his opportunities just being created by his line-mates?
Kaako Kappo
Kaako Kappo
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Hokinaittii
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Looked like his team's best player against the best team in Liiga. Just unlucky he didn't get a point.
Kaako Kappo
Kaako Kappo
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kelsier
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Only got to watch the last period so can't really comment on today's game, but even in the games when he's not been a monster in the offensive zone, he's still created lots of scoring chances and made highlight worthy dekes/plays. His team mates just can't capitalize and it pretty much illustrates the quality of scoring in the league in general, which is absolute horrendous. I watch a lot of NHL and even lot of the bottom six players know how to get the puck into the back of the net. Not at all how it works in the FEL and often you're stuck watching a two or three goal games. The fact that Kakko is shooting more is good a sign cause soon enough those shots will start going in and he'll get some goals (=> more points) and does not have to rely on his line mates to take advantage of him setting them with grade A chances just to watch them blow them away.
If he played next season in this league my guess is he'd absolutely dominate it. He lacks that next gear to blow past the defence by speed. Right now he just uses his core strength and those filthy hands to get around a defender. With another gear he would have less worry about the back-checking players and could focus on how to fool the goalie instead. Otherwise the skating is great even at the moment. No reason not to expect him to be NHL ready next year.
If he played next season in this league my guess is he'd absolutely dominate it. He lacks that next gear to blow past the defence by speed. Right now he just uses his core strength and those filthy hands to get around a defender. With another gear he would have less worry about the back-checking players and could focus on how to fool the goalie instead. Otherwise the skating is great even at the moment. No reason not to expect him to be NHL ready next year.
Artorius Horus T
sincerety
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Team Finland 2022 WHC champions
Wasn't a pretty goal, but they all count. Nice to see him finally get the monkey off his back.
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