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Kakko's Game Has Improved but Still Leave Much to be Desired

Phil

By Phil
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Phil BSBH Legend

Phil

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4. So the Islanders’ Kieffer Bellows scored as many goals (two) in 3:11 on Saturday in New Jersey as Kaapo Kakko has scored in 19 games this season, and what is going on here?

 

Improvements off the puck are noticeable, but two goals for 2019’s second-overall selection in the draft? Shouldn’t that be of some concern to the hierarchy featuring John Davidson as president and Jeff Gorton as general manager?

 

Are the Rangers doing something wrong here? Was Kakko the wrong guy even if no one in the world thought so at the time he was drafted? Does management have enough information regarding Kakko to make concrete determinations of his status and projected trajectory and thus be confident in either walling him off from all trade discussions as an untouchable or using him as a blue chip in exchange for a no-questions-asked top center?

 

Kakko, who hasn’t scored in his last 15 matches, since the fourth game of the season on Jan. 22 in Pittsburgh, has taken 38 shots on 63 attempts in 19 games, numbers that track favorably compared to last season’s 109 shots on 196 attempts while scoring 10 goals in 66 contests.

 

But eye-test scoring chances seem at a greater premium than they were through the first few weeks of a season in which the 20-year-old Finn has spent more than 50 percent of his five-on-five time with Ryan Strome as his center.

 

Quinn, evaluation people and the Rangers may not want to measure Kakko by his goal-scoring production, but does that mean that no one should?

 

https://nypost.com/2021/03/14/rangers-pavel-buchnevich-question-before-nhl-trade-deadline/

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Sharpshooter BSBH Legend

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I would totally include him in a deal for Eichel. To me, he isn't an untouchable like a lot of their other younger players are. He has looked better this year, but in a COVID world it's hard to get a rhythm going when you're in and out of protocol, and with a shortened season on top of that. I mean, with COVID possibly never truly going away, and him being a risk factor as it is, will he ever be able to play consistently? That is my worry. It's hampering his development.
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Blue Heaven BSBH Legend

Blue Heaven

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Yeah, that's Brooks' point. He was billed as an offensive force who would dominate the NHL. That's yet to translate at all. There's gotta be some worry, however fleeting, it may never come.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk

 

Rangers had no choice other than to take Kaako at #2, he was the consensus #2 pick, their was even talk that he may have jumped Hughes to be picked #1 after playing in the World Championships. Hughes isn't necessarily lighting up the league either (13G-22A-35pts) to Kaako (12G-15A-27pts). Patience.

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Phil BSBH Legend

Phil

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Rangers had no choice other than to take Kaako at #2, he was the consensus #2 pick, their was even talk that he may have jumped Hughes to be picked #1 after playing in the World Championships. Hughes isn't necessarily lighting up the league either (13G-22A-35pts) to Kaako (12G-15A-27pts). Patience.

 

No, I get that, but there's reason for concern. Hughes has showed the offensive flashes that made him the first pick. Kakko really hasn't shown the same at two.

 

 

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Cash or Czech BSBH Legend

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I still think Kakko has all of the tools to be a 25-30 goal scorer in this league, and he's still only 20-years old. I think his progression has been noticeable, especially his ability to force turn overs as well as control the puck in the zone, skate towards the net, etc. However, he's gotten plenty of ice-time with talented forwards and has not been able to put points on the board.

 

He's certainly taking longer to improve than other former 2nd overall picks. Svechnikov really had a breakout year for Carolina with 61 points, Nolan Patrick's 2nd year was mired by injuries, and Patrick Laine was a hit from day one. So it's definitely concerning. I'm not opposed to using Kakko as the biggest piece in a larger trade, however I'm also okay with developing him for a bit longer as a cost-controlled asset. We still aren't just "one piece away" from being a contender, so pulling the trigger seems a bit premature.

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LindG1000 BSBH Legend

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There are a few ways to look at this one right now. Bluntly - the scoresheet results aren't there. There's no debating that.

 

Kakko's game is quite literally light years beyond where he was. In the span of a year, he's gone from the worst forward in the NHL to a legit possession monster. And I'm not really overstating it - he's marginally behind players like Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar in relative Corsi and relative Fenwick - he rates highly. His PDO is awful - even with "average" scoring around him, he'd be around a half P/g player, which is fine for a second season. The advanced stats show a player that is ready to blow up.

 

The trajectory I'm using for his trajectory is "other highly rated Finns" - so it's Laine, Barkov, Rantanen. Hard to remember, but Laine was the only one of those three to just hit the ground running. Barkov was a below half P/G player for a few seasons (took him three to really hit a stride), and Rantanen was Kakko-esque for a while there too. He'd appear and disappear like nothing in his age 20 season (though, he got to play with Mackinnon, so that helps some).

 

I feel like he's right there, and given the progress in his defensive game, I'm hard pressed to think he's expendable in any way. If he can do that in an offseason, good god.

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BlairBettsBlocksEverything BSBH Hall-of-Famer

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There are a few ways to look at this one right now. Bluntly - the scoresheet results aren't there. There's no debating that.

 

Kakko's game is quite literally light years beyond where he was. In the span of a year, he's gone from the worst forward in the NHL to a legit possession monster. And I'm not really overstating it - he's marginally behind players like Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar in relative Corsi and relative Fenwick - he rates highly. His PDO is awful - even with "average" scoring around him, he'd be around a half P/g player, which is fine for a second season. The advanced stats show a player that is ready to blow up.

 

The trajectory I'm using for his trajectory is "other highly rated Finns" - so it's Laine, Barkov, Rantanen. Hard to remember, but Laine was the only one of those three to just hit the ground running. Barkov was a below half P/G player for a few seasons (took him three to really hit a stride), and Rantanen was Kakko-esque for a while there too. He'd appear and disappear like nothing in his age 20 season (though, he got to play with Mackinnon, so that helps some).

 

I feel like he's right there, and given the progress in his defensive game, I'm hard pressed to think he's expendable in any way. If he can do that in an offseason, good god.

 

100% agreed.

 

We lucked out into drafting 2 potentially generational talents. I think we're gonna be long past the days where guys like Ovechkin and Crosby and Malkin just jump right into the league and dominate. Those guys came into an era of slow defenseman who played half their games hungover. It's a different league now. It's gonna take time for these top picks to adjust and be ready.

 

I would love to trade for Eichel but it has to be a reasonable price. Especially when Buffalo won't have a ton of leverage.

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LindG1000 BSBH Legend

LindG1000

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100% agreed.

 

We lucked out into drafting 2 potentially generational talents. I think we're gonna be long past the days where guys like Ovechkin and Crosby and Malkin just jump right into the league and dominate. Those guys came into an era of slow defenseman who played half their games hungover. It's a different league now. It's gonna take time for these top picks to adjust and be ready.

 

I would love to trade for Eichel but it has to be a reasonable price. Especially when Buffalo won't have a ton of leverage.

 

I don't want this thread to become an Eichel thread, but you don't trade a top 2 pick when Buffalo's leverage erodes by the day - Eichel's hurt, Eichel's mad, the ownership is bad, the team is bad, Eichel is 5 years in to being a star and hasn't played a single playoff game, flat cap versus 19 million tied up in him and Skinner, Skinner's untradeable, and so on, and so on, and so on. They're pressured on all sides with very few reasonable outs. Just lean on them until they tip.

 

I don't want Kakko going the other way. I want him to the right of Eichel.

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Scott BSBH Legend

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I don't and never have considered Kakko a generational talent. While he's definitely improved I would include him in and Eichel deal. As for Laf being generational if the definition is McDavid or Crosby I don't think I ever had him there either.
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siddious BSBH Legend

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This may be an unpopular opinion but I’d like to see this franchise hold on to young players and let the develop together.

 

Imagine if kakko chytil kravtsov and laf actually develop into who they were supposed to be... that’s a deadly top 6. I’m all for getting eichel but I hate to think what the cost would be.

 

I think we need to consider too that these past two seasons have been odd. Shortened Covid altered seasons probably don’t help developing players.

 

 

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Phil BSBH Legend

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This may be an unpopular opinion but I’d like to see this franchise hold on to young players and let the develop together.

 

Imagine if kakko chytil kravtsov and laf actually develop into who they were supposed to be... that’s a deadly top 6. I’m all done getting eichel but I hate to think what the cost would be.

 

I think we need to consider too that these past two seasons have been odd. Shortened Covid altered seasons probably don’t help developing players.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk

 

I mean, yes, but not all of them are going to be here long-term. Not likely, at least. Even the Leafs, for example, have moved on from younger players who they knew they couldn't pay, or who helped them find something else they could use right away. Kapanen, Johnsson, Kadri, Brown, etc.

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siddious BSBH Legend

siddious

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I mean, yes, but not all of them are going to be here long-term. Not likely, at least. Even the Leafs, for example, have moved on from younger players who they knew they couldn't pay, or who helped them find something else they could use right away. Kapanen, Johnsson, Kadri, Brown, etc.

 

Which is fine but I feel like the rangers arent there yet. They barely know which of those young players will actually hit the mark or not at this point

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