article: Breaking Down Kaapo Kakko’s Struggles This Season

It?s eminently possible this year in the NHL is more valuable as a learning experience for him than spending the year in Hartford.

It?s also possible the opposite is true.

We?ll probably never know, so it?s a pretty pointless discussion.

We can still make an educated guess.

 

A young player having success is always better than not having success. He wasn't having success here, and it's a fairly good bet he'd be more successful playing against lesser competition.

We can still make an educated guess.

 

A young player having success is always better than not having success. He wasn't having success here, and it's a fairly good bet he'd be more successful playing against lesser competition.

 

Not necessarily. He’s been toying with the opposition his entire life. A bit of adversity could be good for him. Understanding what it takes to play his game in the NHL is definitely good for him. You can’t rule out the distinct possibility that having to grind through this season makes him a better player in the long run.

 

He certainly wouldn’t be the first player to struggle in the NHL as an 18 yo to go on and develop into a great player.

Not necessarily. He?s been toying with the opposition his entire life. A bit of adversity could be good for him. Understanding what it takes to play his game in the NHL is definitely good for him. You can?t rule out the distinct possibility that having to grind through this season makes him a better player in the long run.

 

He certainly wouldn?t be the first player to struggle in the NHL as an 18 yo to go on and develop into a great player.

I would consider that a stretch theory, but not impossible.

Why? It’s an indisputable fact that several 18 year olds who struggled in their first year have gone on to have great careers.

It’s certainly no more of a stretch than your theory.

 

But like I said, both can be true.

Why? It?s an indisputable fact that several 18 year olds who struggled in their first year have gone on to have great careers.

It?s certainly no more of a stretch than your theory.

 

But like I said, both can be true.

We can agree to disagree. :)

We can agree to disagree. :)

 

That seems like a great idea, given that my initial comment was that this debate is a bit pointless. :cheers:

That seems like a great idea, given that my initial comment was that this debate is a bit pointless. :cheers:

For different reasons. But sure I'll :chug:

I can smell the beer from here

If only he could have gotten the puck up a bit.

We can still make an educated guess.

 

A young player having success is always better than not having success. He wasn't having success here, and it's a fairly good bet he'd be more successful playing against lesser competition.

 

I'll split hairs on this one for a second. The more I think about it - it very much depends on the player.

 

If you've got an 18 year old who has that mental fortitude to deal with the fact that he probably won't jump into the NHL and be a beast right off, but can actively learn and implement changes, understand how to get from where he is to where he needs to be, and understands the game well enough to pick up NHL tendencies? "Failing" in the NHL is probably the better decision - doubly so when your other choices are "go back to a league you already dominated" or "go back to juniors". In Kakkos' case, it'd have been "go to the AHL" - which if you have a good enough AHL team that he can start in the mid-six and work up, sure.

 

Problem is, I think Kakko didn't or doesn't have that fortitude just yet.

 

In the long haul, I'd reckon this ends up being moot, and he'll be fine. Skating is something lots of prospects need to work on. He's bulked up pretty well this year, he looks very dangerous when he's confident, the hands are there...get the feet to keep up.

It's all pretty crazy... I think back on myself at 18 and I wasn't even mature enough to keep up with my college classes. I can't imagine how I would've even attempted to be in the situation that Kakko is in. I was nowhere near mature enough and I'm sure I'm not alone in that.

Playing better and better in an environment that is not familiar.. Doesn't anyone here remember when they were 19?? Keep " smiling " KK... Gonna get better and better..

I'll split hairs on this one for a second. The more I think about it - it very much depends on the player.

 

If you've got an 18 year old who has that mental fortitude to deal with the fact that he probably won't jump into the NHL and be a beast right off, but can actively learn and implement changes, understand how to get from where he is to where he needs to be, and understands the game well enough to pick up NHL tendencies? "Failing" in the NHL is probably the better decision - doubly so when your other choices are "go back to a league you already dominated" or "go back to juniors". In Kakkos' case, it'd have been "go to the AHL" - which if you have a good enough AHL team that he can start in the mid-six and work up, sure.

 

Problem is, I think Kakko didn't or doesn't have that fortitude just yet.

 

In the long haul, I'd reckon this ends up being moot, and he'll be fine. Skating is something lots of prospects need to work on. He's bulked up pretty well this year, he looks very dangerous when he's confident, the hands are there...get the feet to keep up.

 

I think we're both saying the same thing. We found out halfway through the season that he wasn't really getting better. He wasn't talking to anyone (ask Brendan Smith), he was desperate to get home for the break, and all this is fine. But he wasn't having success and the team just went on not putting him in positions to succeed.

 

No bueno.

I think we're both saying the same thing. We found out halfway through the season that he wasn't really getting better. He wasn't talking to anyone (ask Brendan Smith), he was desperate to get home for the break, and all this is fine. But he wasn't having success and the team just went on not putting him in positions to succeed.

 

No bueno.

 

Yeah, maybe. He'll be fine, but at some point in like, December, it may have been smarter to ask him to step into the Pack and lead them.

 

Then again, what a ride these last few weeks. He's been part of it, even if it wasn't on the scoresheet most of the time.

 

There's really no blueprint for this sort of thing. How the hell do you take an 18 year old from a mid-sized city in Finland and put him in a position to succeed in professional hockey in NYC? He hasn't got family nearby, nor friends, nor has he lived on his own for much of his life. He's probably got near nobody who speaks Finnish, his English is good, but not great, and so on.

 

So many variables to manage.

Kakko playing in the nhl this season will help him down the road ,he now knows what he has to do this off season and will come prepared next season ,I really do think he has improved since the beginning of the year ,or course he ran into to a few walls ,but overall it was a learning experience he will always remember

Yeah, maybe. He'll be fine, but at some point in like, December, it may have been smarter to ask him to step into the Pack and lead them.

 

Then again, what a ride these last few weeks. He's been part of it, even if it wasn't on the scoresheet most of the time.

 

There's really no blueprint for this sort of thing. How the hell do you take an 18 year old from a mid-sized city in Finland and put him in a position to succeed in professional hockey in NYC? He hasn't got family nearby, nor friends, nor has he lived on his own for much of his life. He's probably got near nobody who speaks Finnish, his English is good, but not great, and so on.

 

So many variables to manage.

 

Sorry, but you're giving the org a pass here.

 

There's absolutely a blueprint for imports, and a blueprint for young players. And my point is, baseline, when you see an 18 year old not succeed in the NHL....There's a clear alternative that many young players take. The AHL.

 

All the reason you listed should be ammo for not adding "try to be an impactful NHL player" to the list.

Sorry, but you're giving the org a pass here.

 

There's absolutely a blueprint for imports, and a blueprint for young players. And my point is, baseline, when you see an 18 year old not succeed in the NHL....There's a clear alternative that many young players take. The AHL.

 

All the reason you listed should be ammo for not adding "try to be an impactful NHL player" to the list.

 

Again. You have no idea whether fighting through this year in the NHL will be good for him down the road or not.

I really don't know why try to pretend that you do. I mean if you say "in my opinion, Kakko should have been in the AHL this year" and leave at that then fine. It's certainly possible that would have been a good alternative. But it's not the only road to success with young players, as we've seen with a whole host of guys before him.

In the end, the Rangers chose to keep him up with the big team, so it's moot either way. It would be great to know their reasoning, but I suspect we never will.

 

I know we agreed to disagree, but I'm in Corona quarantine and have all the time in the world :cool:

Again. You have no idea whether fighting through this year in the NHL will be good for him down the road or not.

I really don't know why try to pretend that you do. I mean if you say "in my opinion, Kakko should have been in the AHL this year" and leave at that then fine. It's certainly possible that would have been a good alternative. But it's not the only road to success with young players, as we've seen with a whole host of guys before him.

In the end, the Rangers chose to keep him up with the big team, so it's moot either way. It would be great to know their reasoning, but I suspect we never will.

 

I know we agreed to disagree, but I'm in Corona quarantine and have all the time in the world :cool:

 

All good, haha. Gonna be a lot of these debates.

 

I don't get where you're coming from here... I read back at my own posts ... Which one says anything other than "he should have been in the AHL this year"? Which ones say "This will screw him up down the line"?

 

If anything you guys are the ones predicting "Maybe this adversity will help him".

 

I mean it's not rocket science, when players (especially young ones) struggle at the NHL level they are sent to the AHL to learn some things and find their game. I don't understand why we're trying to discount that and find an excuse for not doing that here. If you wanna keep him around NHLers then make him the 13th forward. The constant failure shift by shift was clearly wearing on him.

 

Do you think of Kakko was the 20th overall instead of the 2nd, that they'd have kept him up? Fil Chytil says "How are ya, Hahtford?"

All good, haha. Gonna be a lot of these debates.

 

I don't get where you're coming from here... I read back at my own posts ... Which one says anything other than "he should have been in the AHL this year"? Which ones say "This will screw him up down the line"?

 

If anything you guys are the ones predicting "Maybe this adversity will help him".

 

I mean it's not rocket science, when players (especially young ones) struggle at the NHL level they are sent to the AHL to learn some things and find their game. I don't understand why we're trying to discount that and find an excuse for not doing that here. If you wanna keep him around NHLers then make him the 13th forward. The constant failure shift by shift was clearly wearing on him.

 

Do you think of Kakko was the 20th overall instead of the 2nd, that they'd have kept him up? Fil Chytil says "How are ya, Hahtford?"

but dont you think that the 20th overall pick will have a look before a second rounder,this is why they played so hard to get drafted earlier ,Kakko got him self to be the second pick,so he can have an advantage ,faster route to the nhl

but dont you think that the 20th overall pick will have a look before a second rounder,this is why they played so hard to get drafted earlier ,Kakko got him self to be the second pick,so he can have an advantage ,faster route to the nhl

No, I don't think that at all. I don't think they try hard so they don't ever have to play in the developmental leagues.

 

And at the end of the day it doesn't matter. If you aren't playing well in the NHL you should go to the AHL to learn. Kreider started in the NHL playoffs and wound up going down in 12-13 and 13-14 because he had things to learns.

 

No one has yet to make a point of why Kakko shouldn't have been sent down and everyone still acts like being sent to the AHL is some type of insult.

He shouldn’t be sent down. He needs to grow and learn at the nhl level.

 

Besides, Hartford is still a failure when it comes to developing offensive talent. The Rangers can not afford to see another highly touted prospect plateau with third liner stat lines.

No, I don't think that at all. I don't think they try hard so they don't ever have to play in the developmental leagues.

 

And at the end of the day it doesn't matter. If you aren't playing well in the NHL you should go to the AHL to learn. Kreider started in the NHL playoffs and wound up going down in 12-13 and 13-14 because he had things to learns.

 

No one has yet to make a point of why Kakko shouldn't have been sent down and everyone still acts like being sent to the AHL is some type of insult.

try hard was the wrong word ,but playing to a skill above the rest is what i meant to say,getting picked between first and second overall does give you an advantage over the rest of the prospects,but you did say that if he was picked 20th and not second he probably sent down already

He shouldn’t be sent down. He needs to grow and learn at the nhl level.

 

Besides, Hartford is still a failure when it comes to developing offensive talent. The Rangers can not afford to see another highly touted prospect plateau with third liner stat lines.

 

Yes you keep repeating this but he's not learning or growing.

There’s a difference between learning & growing vs “visual improvement game to game”, which is unrealistic. Learning the NHL, training, practice schedule, etc. Other than the month he was recovering from illness, he’s been making strides.

There’s a difference between learning & growing vs “visual improvement game to game”, which is unrealistic. Learning the NHL, training, practice schedule, etc. Other than the month he was recovering from illness, he’s been making strides.

 

None of that had to happen at 18. The AHL is a step towards that.

 

That's a real stretch to say this had to happen, and that it did happen, but not worth continuing the debate when it was so clear to everyone that he was not just struggling on this ice, but really unhappy.