article: Breaking Down Kaapo Kakko’s Struggles This Season

[Phil]

This feels like an awful lot of fundamental work needed on a fuckin' NUMBER TWO OVERALL PICK.

[Morphinity 2.0]

This feels like an awful lot of fundamental work needed on a fuckin' NUMBER TWO OVERALL PICK.

 

I think fixing his skating fixes a lion's share of his problems. As the article mentions he has an undeniable skillset which he shows on occasion but is limited by his skating and decision making.

 

I'm probably playing armchair conditioning coach but he looks plain out of shape. This article alluded to it how his skating form breaks down as his shifts go on. So getting on a training regimen and spending the summer with a skating coach could lead to seeing a different Kakko next season.

[Phil]

I think fixing his skating fixes a lion's share of his problems. As the article mentions he has an undeniable skillset which he shows on occasion but is limited by his skating and decision making.

 

I'm probably playing armchair conditioning coach but he looks plain out of shape. This article alluded to it how his skating form breaks down as his shifts go on. So getting on a training regimen and spending the summer with a skating coach could lead to seeing a different Kakko next season.

 

I hope so. I don't share your enthusiasm, though. Maybe we're just splitting hairs, but he looks slow to me. I'm not sure there's a "fix" for that in a league that puts a premium on speed. It's not like he can just dine out against lesser competition, either. Even fourth-liners in today's NHL can blaze.

[Morphinity 2.0]

We've just seen plenty of players transform their game with improved skating. Most notably lately - Anthony Cirelli. They've discussed it on 31 Thoughts Pod this season.

 

So it's definitely possible.

 

Then again, Kakko is the worst non-goon skater I've seen in the NHL lately.

[Phil]

Anthony Cirelli isn't a number two overall pick. There's very little riding on his making it or not. He was a third-round pick. It's fantastic what they've done with him, but if he busted, he busted. No one would bat an eye. The Rangers can't afford the same optics. They badly, badly need this to work.

[Drew a Penalty]

We've just seen plenty of players transform their game with improved skating. Most notably lately - Anthony Cirelli. They've discussed it on 31 Thoughts Pod this season.

 

So it's definitely possible.

 

Brayden Point too. Like I mentioned earlier, it's probably not even a transformation that occurs over the course of a single offseason. He's going to need time and repetition to engrain the proper technique into his every day play. He's young enough that he probably still has the capacity, and I have no doubt that he has the drive.

[Drew a Penalty]

Anthony Cirelli isn't a number two overall pick. There's very little riding on his making it or not. He was a third-round pick. It's fantastic what they've done with him, but if he busted, he busted. No one would bat an eye. The Rangers can't afford the same optics. They badly, badly need this to work.

 

Okay. Yes. So work hard to find a solution. What are you really supposed to do in retrospect?

[Phil]

Okay. Yes. So work hard to find a solution. What are you really supposed to do in retrospect?

 

Nothing. It's sunk cost. You just have to do everything you can to make it work. I'm just nowhere near as optimistic as some that it will, is all.

[torontonyr]

A speed league today doesn't mean a speed league tomorrow. This league goes through different forms and if he's slightly faster, adjusts to the pace of the game, and gets stronger - he should be absolutely fine IMO.

[Ozzy]

It's not just a production thing, tho.

 

It's a skill thing.

 

When it's a speed league and you're not a skilled skater, that's a problem.

 

This feels like an awful lot of fundamental work needed on a fuckin' NUMBER TWO OVERALL PICK.

 

You guys are right, and Pete...you were calling for him to be in Hartford all along, and in hindsight, I think you were right all along. I kinda hoped the kid had more to him than what I've seen so far, but he does need a lot of work. I just don't see him as a total bust just yet. But I've been fairly lenient with him because of his age.

 

Maybe too lenient, but like I said, he's a kid playing a man's game.

 

I only made reference to Thornton because I remember a lot of analysts were calling him a bust his first year. The players themselves are worlds apart on so many levels, I realize...but that bust term is a little early to throw on a kid that's barely through puberty enough to not need zit cream.

[Drew a Penalty]

A speed league today doesn't mean a speed league tomorrow.

 

With many developmental programs focusing so heavily on skating, I find that highly doubtful.

[Gravesy]

It comes down to whether you believe his skating can improve enough to enable his skill set transfer to the NHL.

I think it can. If he can just gain a step or two it’ll change a lot.

Talk of being a bust is obviously ridiculously premature.

[Dunny]

With many developmental programs focusing so heavily on skating, I find that highly doubtful.

 

And the fact you're not allowed to impede anybody.

[Dunny]

I'm with Phil on the skating, but he also can't shoot. He can't get it off, he can't get it through, and it's a muffin when he does.

 

What else?

 

On his decision making, his biggest strength is obviously holding up possession, that pretty obvious, but what does he do with it? It looks to me like he skates it in to a black hole more often than not. The ol' Rick Nash handle it out to five feet from the blueline, turn, and fire it blindly.

 

He really has no business in this league at this point, or any point thus far, I think they have to realize they got caught with their pants down, and it's so far gone there's nothing else to do but finish the season.

 

The good? Well, he's 18 and every other guy from that draft either is bad in this league, or isn't even in this league, so I don't think he's far behind his peers in general, or even behind at all, but when all you have to go on is his performance in some semi pro hockey league, and a handful of performances elsewhere, projection seems like a risky business to me. Seems to be more Kotkaniemi's than Laine's coming out of that league lately.

[torontonyr]

With many developmental programs focusing so heavily on skating, I find that highly doubtful.

 

There was a time this was said about size, particularly on defense. I'm not saying speed will cease, or that it's guaranteed to diminish as a go-to skill in the NHL, but the beautiful thing about hockey is that there numerous ways to be successful.

 

If he's even slightly below average, he'll be fine IMO.

[Drew a Penalty]

There was a time this was said about size, particularly on defense. I'm not saying speed will cease, or that it's guaranteed to diminish as a go-to skill in the NHL, but the beautiful thing about hockey is that there numerous ways to be successful.

 

If he's even slightly below average, he'll be fine IMO.

 

You can't teach anyone to be big. You can teach anyone to be fast.

[Phil]

I'm with Phil on the skating, but he also can't shoot. He can't get it off, he can't get it through, and it's a muffin when he does.

 

What else?

 

On his decision making, his biggest strength is obviously holding up possession, that pretty obvious, but what does he do with it? It looks to me like he skates it in to a black hole more often than not. The ol' Rick Nash handle it out to five feet from the blueline, turn, and fire it blindly.

 

He really has no business in this league at this point, or any point thus far, I think they have to realize they got caught with their pants down, and it's so far gone there's nothing else to do but finish the season.

 

The good? Well, he's 18 and every other guy from that draft either is bad in this league, or isn't even in this league, so I don't think he's far behind his peers in general, or even behind at all, but when all you have to go on is his performance in some semi pro hockey league, and a handful of performances elsewhere, projection seems like a risky business to me. Seems to be more Kotkaniemi's than Laine's coming out of that league lately.

 

Yup. I didn't want to just pile on, but when I watch him play, I'm utterly unimpressed. It's amazing how far we've lowered the bar, too, to where he'll have a couple of mildly improved games (Flyers, for example) and we're shouting "progress!" as if he hasn't moved from 1% effective to 2.5% effective.

 

It's all marginal. There's literally no NHL player here right now, and I'm frankly a little terrified there won't be one given just how much work there is to do. No speed, no skating, no shot, no nothing. He can hold the puck. That's it. He's like Rick Nash meets Greg McKegg.

[Sod16]

He should have been sent down, as Chytl was shortly after making the team as an 18 year old. I hope next year he spends a good chunk of time in Hartford. Speed is so much. There is a long history of dominate players in the AHL (and, in this case, World Championships) who never made a dent in the NHL because it is faster.

 

His poor advanced stats have been well earned, but he does at least have some shifts and sequences (invariably in the offensive zone) where he still shows considerable promise.

[Scott]

A speed league today doesn't mean a speed league tomorrow. This league goes through different forms and if he's slightly faster, adjusts to the pace of the game, and gets stronger - he should be absolutely fine IMO.

 

man if we're having to bank on the league coming down to his speed we're in trouble.

 

I'm of the same mindset that I would be more surprised if he's able to grow into the stud we thought we were getting rather than some serious sunk cost into a guy that never remotely lives up to the hype. As for him spending the entire season up here and what he's learned and improved upon over the course of the season = nothing. Terribly disappointing and hoping for a rather miraculous offseason but not holding my breath.

 

Hearing Sam repeatedly say things like "another strong shift from Kakko" makes me gag, the bar just couldn't be any lower.

 

Should be able to get a good deal on a Kakko jersey on Ebay this offseason. :)

[Valriera]

I think we just have no idea what 18year olds play like since it’s been so long since we’ve had one. Excuse the comparisons to guys like Crosby and McDavid - he’s not that - but this guy plays a lot like svechnikov last seasons and that guy had a pretty good sophomore season.

 

That said he’s been a bad roster player and he’s been carried by the team. I still think it’s worth the exposure but he certainly hasn’t been lighting the world on fire. The point is I don’t expect him to. He’s a kid still, a young kid, and needs time.

[Dunny]

He doesn't play anything like Svechnikov. Svechnikov scored 20 goals last year.

[BrooksBurner]

He doesn't play anything like Svechnikov. Svechnikov scored 20 goals last year.

 

Hang on now...there's still 16 games to go. 12 g in 16....GO.

[-ERIK-]

the future is spelled K-A-K-K-O

[Phil]

the future is spelled K-A-K-K-O

 

Lost in translation.

[Scott]

Man that's like a kick in the balls just thinking about it. Hopefully the future is brighter than that.