Why isn't Kaapo Kakko in the AHL?

Doesn't he have 1 ES assist?

He was trying to pad his stats last night.

Ok, but JD was brought in to take the reigns here. I don't buy him mandating Kakko stays up just because of draft status.

STL Drafted Pietrangelo #4 under JD. Sent him back to junior twice.

CLS Drafted Dubios #3 under JD. Sent him back to junior.

If anyone was going to say "We don't care what other people expect of our player. Let them worry about their own players. We know what we expect of him, and right now, the AHL is the best place for him to develop the tools he'll need to get where we all believe he can get to." It would be JD.

Any of us would likely have one ES assist, as well, given his icetime. It's totally insane.

The Org and bootlicking media keep saying everything is fine and normal, and they're 100% lying. The Org expected some production out of him this season and it's been a complete disaster.

All the excuses aren't going to cut it next year. He needs to get in to right frame of mind and work on his glaring deficiencies. We need this guy so so bad.

I agree, I just disagree with why. I don't think he's doing himself (or them) any favors by never being a factor on the ice except when he makes glaring errors, and I hate that "draft pedigree" is arguably the reason why. It's a stupid precedent that's been set that players taken at a position should automatically be able to make the jump from draft to the NHL simply by way of whatever arbitrary cut off we decide (first, second, eighth overall, etc).

 

The AHL exists to serve as a buffer between these two worlds and is designed and composed to operate exactly as the NHL does minus the pressure of the professional media and the win- and produce-now nature of most teams.

 

How is that not exactly what is right for Kakko given everything we know of his stint thus far?

He?s getting preferential treatment because he was picked 2nd overall, and he?s 18, and he?s foreign. It?s what it is.

It?s happened before.

He?s not going anywhere

Any of us would likely have one ES assist, as well, given his icetime. It's totally insane.

 

The Org and bootlicking media keep saying everything is fine and normal, and they're 100% lying. The Org expected some production out of him this season and it's been a complete disaster.

 

All the excuses aren't going to cut it next year. He needs to get in to right frame of mind and work on his glaring deficiencies. We need this guy so so bad.

Exactly. And it'll get so much worse if they don't send him down this year and then he struggles again next year. He'll get Mittelstadt'd.

Any of us would likely have one ES assist, as well, given his icetime. It's totally insane.

 

The Org and bootlicking media keep saying everything is fine and normal, and they're 100% lying. The Org expected some production out of him this season and it's been a complete disaster.

 

All the excuses aren't going to cut it next year. He needs to get in to right frame of mind and work on his glaring deficiencies. We need this guy so so bad.

Zibanejad had 11 ES assists until the last week of the season 2 years ago, at the 1C.

Comparatively, Kakko aint doing too bad.

I dont think everything has always been fine. But I dont think last night was a game to panic about.

So he had 1100% more ES assists? lol

Last night was just one game, who cares, his body of work has not been what we were told we were getting. That's undeniable.

I'm not even concerned specifically with the actual production. I'm concerned with his compete level, how easy it is to get him off the puck, how painfully slow he is, how he seems clueless on where to go or what to do during most plays in his own zone, how the most common image i see of him is one hand on the stick trying to lightly hook the player that just beat him, and how indecisive he is even in favorable offensive positions (i.e. 2 v and 3 v 1s).

The actual production is not going to come until the above is addressed. Right now he doesnt even seem to posses much hockey IQ and the game doesnt flow through his play as it does with most talented players. In the preseason he looked very very different so I know it's there. It's just not going to come very easily compared to what he's used to. Why on earth its decided his best course is to remain here doing what he's doing apparently is above my level of comprehension.

I don't see it at all with him to date, he effectively killed two odd man rushes at least one of them a 3 on 1 within a ~10 min stretch in the 3rd. Both times not even getting a pass off or god forbid a shot. I would bet after the first one a coach on the bench tapped him on the back and said something along the lines of um maybe shot the puck there Kappo, keep your chin up. And yet he literally did the same thing a short time later in almost the exact same situation. That's the furthest thing from showing progress.

On the positive side you didn't need binoculars to see him in the 3rd because of those two just terrible plays. They stuck out all on their own with no help needed.

I just don't see any signs that whatever it is they're doing is working even a little bit.

He did have 4 shots last night I think one was from Brooklyn. That gives him a whooping 8 shots in his last 6 games.

It wouldn’t surprise me to see him continue to struggle and then in the last 10-20 games start to figure it out, feel more comfortable and play better

All the optimism and such may have been overstated but he’s got the tools. This is no surprise really.

He’ll be fine

i think last night showed he's a short way away from shit clicking in his game.

I can't see how you thought he was good last night.

He was awful last night. Weak on the puck and not dangerous with the puck on his stick. Stickhandled into dead ice or right into the defense.

 

I can't see how you thought he was good last night.

I said it was a good learning game for him. These are the games you get from 18 year olds. Stop expecting him to turn into McDavid

I said it was a good learning game for him. These are the games you get from 18 year olds. Stop expecting him to turn into McDavid

I think it’s less that we were expecting to see McDavid as much as instead we are shocked we are seeing Ville Nieminen

I said it was a good learning game for him. These are the games you get from 18 year olds. Stop expecting him to turn into McDavid

Again the issue is he's no better today than he was in October. That's a flag.

I think it’s less that we were expecting to see McDavid as much as instead we are shocked we are seeing Ville Nieminen

This. +1

I said it was a good learning game for him. These are the games you get from 18 year olds. Stop expecting him to turn into McDavid

There's an entire world between these polarities that he's also not meeting.

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I'd be happy to see Kakko from Worlds.

 

Again the issue is he's no better today than he was in October. That's a flag.

Hey I’ve never liked how this coach works with kids...

There's an entire world between these polarities that he's also not meeting.

 

 

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Then you had unrealistic expectations. My lineup always had him as a third liner.

Two guys that were yelling to rebuild while the team was competing for the cup are the first to complain about an 18 year old #2 pick in his first half a season of hockey.

#BSBH