Kaapo Kakko?s Rangers Progress Has Yet to Match the Grand Hype

So, putting this in some perspective, to borrow a phrase that is endemic in the sports world, Kakko is pretty much where he should be entering Thursday’s Garden match against the Caps.

 

But he is most decidedly not where anyone around New York — and probably not in Turku, Finland, from where he hails — wants or thinks he should be.

 

He was, after all, advertised as NHL-ready. He was, after all, advertised as ready to make a difference in the NHL

 

So the perception is that Kakko is way behind schedule.

 

The challenge for the Rangers, their management and the coaching staff, is not to mistake perception for reality.

“He’s done a good job. He’s gotten better and better,” the coach said of Kakko, who has two points (2-0) in eight games. “What we have to do as a staff, and everybody has to do is stop comparing him to where we want him to be — the ultimate player.

 

“We have a vision of what we think Kaapo Kakko is going to look like. He’s 19 years old. Our job is to continue to monitor him and make sure he’s getting better. And he’s doing it.”

Clearly, there has been improvement, accomplished while Kakko has bounced from one line to another — as, by the way, has just about everybody on the team.

 

But here’s what has been missing, at least to these experienced (or old, take your pick) eyes: the ability to do something special and bring folks out of their seats. There just haven’t been many moments at all in which Kakko has been able to demonstrate, no-questions-asked, why he was the consensus second-best 18-year-old hockey player in the world through the winter, spring and summer of 2019.

 

Remember, too, there was somewhat of a debate following the World Championship Tournament in which the Finn was a man among men whether he or Hughes should go first-overall. Now, Hughes is taking a big step, a much bigger one than Kakko. There is never mistaking the New Jersey center’s high-end potential. That is not something you can say for New York’s winger.

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19 years old. no need to worry yet.

let him play and continue to develop.

new country and language. smaller ice. a lot for him to adapt to.

Here's the difference. Hughes is the #1 center there because Niko is out. He's on the 1st PP and plays a fuck ton of minutes.

Kakko has been on the 3rd line his entire career so far except for a few shifts here and there and on the 2nd PP which essentially doesn't play.

Should we also bring up the fact that the coach literally forgot to play him against buffalo?

To me, he looks good with the puck in the offensive zone. He's hard in the corners. He battles much more than he did last year. I do see improvement. And while, no, he's not deking the shit out of people and breaking ankles, I don't know if he was ever that player. He's a big body with good hands and if the Rangers are going to use him so sparingly - which is there call - then the expectations have to be lowered and everyone has to be patient.

To me, this is an annoying article by Larry, trying to pile on the disaster that is this season so far.

Here's the difference. Hughes is the #1 center there because Niko is out. He's on the 1st PP and plays a fuck ton of minutes.

 

Kakko has been on the 3rd line his entire career so far except for a few shifts here and there and on the 2nd PP which essentially doesn't play.

 

Should we also bring up the fact that the coach literally forgot to play him against buffalo?

 

 

 

 

To me, he looks good with the puck in the offensive zone. He's hard in the corners. He battles much more than he did last year. I do see improvement. And while, no, he's not deking the shit out of people and breaking ankles, I don't know if he was ever that player. He's a big body with good hands and if the Rangers are going to use him so sparingly - which is there call - then the expectations have to be lowered and everyone has to be patient.

 

To me, this is an annoying article by Larry, trying to pile on the disaster that is this season so far.

Nah, even when he's been played next to Panarin, Zibanejad, etc. the impact still isn't there. There's only so much you can blame on playing with "third-liners" when his most consistent line mate has been Chytil.

Attempts to justify the "progress" of a second overall pick billed as an NHL-ready force by appealing to winning a few more puck battles along the boards is... wow.

Like the close in Brooks' article says, two things can be true at once: he has improved, and there's still much left to be desired.

Here's the difference. Hughes is the #1 center there because Niko is out. He's on the 1st PP and plays a fuck ton of minutes.

 

Kakko has been on the 3rd line his entire career so far except for a few shifts here and there and on the 2nd PP which essentially doesn't play.

 

Should we also bring up the fact that the coach literally forgot to play him against buffalo?

 

 

 

 

To me, he looks good with the puck in the offensive zone. He's hard in the corners. He battles much more than he did last year. I do see improvement. And while, no, he's not deking the shit out of people and breaking ankles, I don't know if he was ever that player. He's a big body with good hands and if the Rangers are going to use him so sparingly - which is there call - then the expectations have to be lowered and everyone has to be patient.

 

To me, this is an annoying article by Larry, trying to pile on the disaster that is this season so far.

Panarin

Buch

Kreider

Laf

Kakko

That's the wingers listed by average TOI, and that's with Laf and Kakko each having a game with less than 10 minutes impacting the average in a still small sample size. The next closest winger is PDG and he's 2 minutes behind.

So yea, typical super annoying Brooks article about mostly nothing. Kakko and Laf aren't being ruined by Quinn. They're slotted in right behind three quality vets on the wing, right where they should be. Forcing more points out of them by playing them 20+ minutes a night, isn't necessarily better for their development.

I still don't know what kind of player he'll become in the next four, five years. Sniper? Playmaker? Power Forward? 2-Way? To me he's a very talented question mark on ice.

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Nah, even when he's been played next to Panarin, Zibanejad, etc. the impact still isn't there. There's only so much you can blame on playing with "third-liners" when his most consistent line mate has been Chytil.

 

Attempts to justify the proress of a second overall pick billed as an NHL-ready force by appealing to winning a few more puck battles along the boards is... wow.

 

Like the close in Brooks' article says, two things can be true at once: he has improved, and there's still much left to be desired.

As is the case with Lafreniere, there's been absolutely no consistency. It's no surprise then that Kakko has played the best with the center he's played with the most: Chytil.

But whatever, my frustration with articles like this is it's not necessary. Like what's the point of this article? Larry isn't brave enough to call him a bust so he lets the reader infer it with things like "he is most decidedly not where anyone around New York...wants or thinks he should be."

I get that negativity sells and Brooks is the king of it, but if Larry thinks Kaapo's a bust then he should just say it. But he won't because he's knows that's a foolish thing to say.

So again... what's the point of the article?

Panarin

Buch

Kreider

Laf

Kakko

 

That's the wingers listed by average TOI, and that's with Laf and Kakko each having a game with less than 10 minutes impacting the average in a still small sample size. The next closest winger is PDG and he's 2 minutes behind.

 

So yea, typical super annoying Brooks article about mostly nothing. Kakko and Laf aren't being ruined by Quinn. They're slotted in right behind three quality vets on the wing, right where they should be. Forcing more points out of them by playing them 20+ minutes a night, isn't necessarily better for their development.

It's not an issue of time on ice, it's an issue of impact on ice.

The main difference between Hughes and Kakko is that Hughes has elite skating ability and edge work which allows him to be effective straight off the hop, and his high ceiling is obvious.

Kakko's playing style is going to take a long(er) time to translate. He relies on hockey IQ, power, being clever along the boards, good hands, shielding the puck etc - a skill set that makes it a lot harder to be a factor in the NHL. If you're going to dominate in the NHL without the speed and quickness to get a step and separate your remaining skills better be fucking good. I'm not sure where I see his ceiling right now. I still think he'll be a very good player, but I'm not entirely convinced he's more than that. That being said, he's type of player who you could see taking huge steps as he turns 22-23.

I'm also tired of hearing the age excuse. It's not like players haven't had a modicum of success at 19. As I said in another thread, normally top picks come in and they make mistakes, but you notice them. Kakko was statistically, and by eyeballs, one of the worst players in the NHL.

He's not a bust, but he's a disappointment.

And it ain't all Quinn, either.

The main difference between Hughes and Kakko is that Hughes has elite skating ability and edge work which allows him to be effective straight off the hop, and his high ceiling is obvious.

Kakko's playing style is going to take a long(er) time to translate. He relies on hockey IQ, power, being clever along the boards, good hands, shielding the puck etc - a skill set that makes it a lot harder to be a factor in the NHL. If you're going to dominate in the NHL without the speed and quickness to get a step and separate your remaining skills better be fucking good. I'm not sure where I see his ceiling right now. I still think he'll be a very good player, but I'm not entirely convinced he's more than that. That being said, he's type of player who you could see taking huge steps as he turns 22-23.

I think he's a microcosm of the entire rebuild. There's no identity. What is he?

I see a little to like, like his wall play at times, but plenty of red flags. Choppy everything. Choppy skating. Choppy hands.

His build is a little cherubic, yet, almost sickly in appearance.

This is probably Right, but didn't they see how slow he was and where is all the skill he is suppose to Possess ,his skill level is a little behind of a NHL ready player,and that was he was suppose to be ,ready for the nhl

My take is that evaluators were a bit blinded by how he was able to use his strength and ability to shield the puck and drive the net against men in Finland. The Finnish league is a very different place than the NHL. They thought it was going to translate, but when he hit the ice here it was pretty obvious that he's not quite there in terms of using that skillset against bigger, faster and stronger opponents. When he was great at the worlds it set the hype machine in overdrive, which is a bit strange considering the worlds is a bit of a pond hockey tournament.

My take is that evaluators were a bit blinded by how he was able to use his strength and ability to shield the puck and drive the net against men in Finland. The Finnish league is a very different place than the NHL. They thought it was going to translate, but when he hit the ice here it was pretty obvious that he's not quite there in terms of using that skillset against bigger, faster and stronger opponents. When he was great at the worlds it set the hype machine in overdrive, which is a bit strange considering the worlds is a bit of a pond hockey tournament.

This is pretty much it, a great summary.

My take is that evaluators were a bit blinded by how he was able to use his strength and ability to shield the puck and drive the net against men in Finland. The Finnish league is a very different place than the NHL. They thought it was going to translate, but when he hit the ice here it was pretty obvious that he's not quite there in terms of using that skillset against bigger, faster and stronger opponents. When he was great at the worlds it set the hype machine in overdrive, which is a bit strange considering the worlds is a bit of a pond hockey tournament.

On wide rinks, opponents don't chase you on the perimeter. They let you have it. Kakko's MO was to build momentum off the perimeter and leverage that to attack the middle of the ice and get a physical advantage. You can't do that on NHL ice. They seal off the perimeter and that's exactly what's happening to Kakko.

Athletic did a piece on this, can't look for it now.

On wide rinks, opponents don't chase you on the perimeter. They let you have it. Kakko's MO was to build momentum off the perimeter and leverage that to attack the middle of the ice and get a physical advantage. You can't do that on NHL ice. They seal off the perimeter and that's exactly what's happening to Kakko.

 

Athletic did a piece on this, can't look for it now.

Yeah, that's an excellent point. Another thing related to that is time on the puck as a winger. I have first hand experience of moving from Europe to North America, and like Kakko I wasn't the greatest skater. It's incredible how much that extra split second of time you get on a larger sheet matters when you don't have great foot speed. It took me a really long time to get used to.