The Struggle Continues with Kaapo Kakko

[Phil]

3 minutes ago, Pete said:

You appreciated those guys because they had limited talent and ability, yet tried and wore their heart on their sleeves. That is what you want from a third liner.

 

Kakko has all the talent in the world, sans skating, but it's really clear that he has hands and vision. He just couldn't put it all together.

 

A lot of what I'm reading is pretty disgusting from the fanbase. Like people are happy that he got hurt... How fucking dumb are some people? This hurts him, and it hurts the team, and this is a guy who was really trying his best out there and it's just not coming together for him, but some of the comments I'm reading from "fans" are pathetic. 

 

Yup. Same with early years Dubinsky and Callahan. For their limitations, they left it all on the ice and sacrificed in a big way. Hagelin's speed and Fast's first-man-in mentality even earned them top-six rolse where they didn't look out of place at all despite both having hands of stone.

 

Kakko feels stuck between worlds to me where he really doesn't "belong" in either. As a third liner, he doesn't give you nearly enough heart, and as a top-sixer, the talent just doesn't seem to translate to points. He's constantly in no-mans land. It's what makes this type of injury so disheartening for him and for fans.

[Scott]

Never want to see anyone get hurt, I don't think they benefit from him being out, I don't think Johnny B brings much more results wise if anything. I do think it's sad the way Kakko's time here has gone which up until now imo has essentially been nowhere. I think he's firmly in bust territory.  Do I think he would benefit from starting over somewhere else absolutely, there's nothing to lose. Would I risk spending the 2.4M on someone else even if it's rolling the dice, yeah. Hopefully he will fully heal. 

[Pete]

14 minutes ago, jsrangers said:

Never want to see anyone get hurt, I don't think they benefit from him being out, I don't think Johnny B brings much more results wise if anything. I do think it's sad the way Kakko's time here has gone which up until now imo has essentially been nowhere. I think he's firmly in bust territory.  Do I think he would benefit from starting over somewhere else absolutely, there's nothing to lose. Would I risk spending the 2.4M on someone else even if it's rolling the dice, yeah. Hopefully he will fully heal. 

When you really think about it, the role reversal between him and Laf is startling. I actually have to wonder if KK started on Panarin RW and Laf of Zib's RW how different the conversation would be considering the way bread started his season versus Z. 

[Br4d]

1 hour ago, Pete said:

When you really think about it, the role reversal between him and Laf is startling. I actually have to wonder if KK started on Panarin RW and Laf of Zib's RW how different the conversation would be considering the way bread started his season versus Z. 

 

Laf always had the ingredients.  He was short effort and the linemates to bring them out for the most part.

 

Kakko is like a wind-up doll.  You wind him up and he plays really hard but the moves are always the same and rarely effective.

[Pete]

1 minute ago, Br4d said:

 

Laf always had the ingredients.  He was short effort and the linemates to bring them out for the most part.

 

Kakko is like a wind-up doll.  You wind him up and he plays really hard but the moves are always the same and rarely effective.

Did you get into my edibles? 

[Br4d]

Just now, Pete said:

Did you get into my edibles? 

 

Just read up the thread dude.  This is not a new opinion on my part.

 

Laffy has star power albeit he is very inconsistent.  Kakko is a born 3rd liner.

[Pete]

Just now, Br4d said:

 

Just read up the thread dude.  This is not a new opinion on my part.

 

Laffy has star power albeit he is very inconsistent.  Kakko is a born 3rd liner.

I don't know how you get there, but I also don't want to know. 

[Br4d]

Just now, Pete said:

I don't know how you get there, but I also don't want to know. 

 

I got there from 4 seasons of watching Kakko play mechanically to control the puck and rarely do anything productive with it.

[Pete]

2 minutes ago, Br4d said:

 

I got there from 4 seasons of watching Kakko play mechanically to control the puck and rarely do anything productive with it.

OK. 

[Albatrosss]

2 hours ago, Pete said:

You appreciated those guys because they had limited talent and ability, yet tried and wore their heart on their sleeves. That is what you want from a third liner.

 

Kakko has all the talent in the world, sans skating, but it's really clear that he has hands and vision. He just couldn't put it all together.

 

A lot of what I'm reading is pretty disgusting from the fanbase. Like people are happy that he got hurt... How fucking dumb are some people? This hurts him, and it hurts the team, and this is a guy who was really trying his best out there and it's just not coming together for him, but some of the comments I'm reading from "fans" are pathetic. 

Who the hell is happy he got hurt?  Pretty sure every “fan” was rooting for him to succeed. 

[Gravesy]

 

 

11 hours ago, Phil said:

Kakko feels stuck between worlds to me where he really doesn't "belong" in either. As a third liner, he doesn't give you nearly enough heart, and as a top-sixer, the talent just doesn't seem to translate to points. He's constantly in no-mans land. It's what makes this type of injury so disheartening for him and for fans.

Kakko feels like a tweener to me.

He has the hands and size/strength to dominate against weaker opposition on a bigger surface where his lack of burst and foot speed isn't punished as much. I could see him absolutely tearing the KHL a new one. I don't think his skill set ever translates to a legit top 6 NHL player. And like you say, he doesn't have the punch of a great 3rd liner.

[jsm7302]

16 minutes ago, Gravesy said:

 

 

Kakko feels like a tweener to me.

He has the hands and size/strength to dominate against weaker opposition on a bigger surface where his lack of burst and foot speed isn't punished as much. I could see him absolutely tearing the KHL a new one. I don't think his skill set ever translates to a legit top 6 NHL player. And like you say, he doesn't have the punch of a great 3rd liner.

He tries to possess the puck like Jagr but doesn't have the skill set and loses the puck almost every time. He could be Jesper fast if they work with him to fill that role instead of trying to push him into point production. He's defensively responsible and is a big body; work with him to use his tools. 

[Pete]

3 minutes ago, jsm7302 said:

He tries to possess the puck like Jagr but doesn't have the skill set and loses the puck almost every time. He could be Jesper fast if they work with him to fill that role instead of trying to push him into point production. He's defensively responsible and is a big body; work with him to use his tools. 

Kappo Kakko Kutback King. He's constantly cutting back trying to lose a defender so that he can make a play. It's because of his lack of speed. You can't do anything in the NHL without time and space, and too often he's trying to create his own time and space instead of working with his line meets to find soft areas of the ice for either him or them. 

 

I think unfortunately, he was playing right wing when CK and MK were not playing great hockey (And let's face it, they still aren't with Wheeler there), And then was immediately moved to play with Cuylle and Bonino. Not sure how anyone can expect production there, their role was clearly primarily defensive to begin with and he's getting 5 minutes less per game, basically a 30% reduction in ice time. 

[RangersIn7]

9 hours ago, Br4d said:

 

Just read up the thread dude.  This is not a new opinion on my part.

 

Laffy has star power albeit he is very inconsistent.  Kakko is a born 3rd liner.

Consistency has been what’s done much of it for Laffy this year

[Pete]

10 minutes ago, RangersIn7 said:

Consistency has been what’s done much of it for Laffy this year

Yes, the Bread has been quite consistent...

 

Let's be honest, much of what he's been able to do is because of who he's playing with, but I will give him full marks for firstly his level of engagement, and secondly making the most of that opportunity because he never has before. 

Edited November 29, 2023 by Pete

[Sharpshooter]

Yeah, Panarin has been great since he's been here, but we haven't seen this level of play from him since just before COVID. At that point he was probably a top three player in the league, at least, and the team was cruising before the shutdown. Definitely going to get a lot of consideration for the Hart. They've needed every point he's given them early on the season when some got off to slowish starts.

[Phil]

2 hours ago, Gravesy said:

Kakko feels like a tweener to me.

He has the hands and size/strength to dominate against weaker opposition on a bigger surface where his lack of burst and foot speed isn't punished as much. I could see him absolutely tearing the KHL a new one. I don't think his skill set ever translates to a legit top 6 NHL player. And like you say, he doesn't have the punch of a great 3rd liner.

 

Right. It's why I keep saying Benoit Pouliot.

[Br4d]

2 hours ago, RangersIn7 said:

Consistency has been what’s done much of it for Laffy this year

 

This season, although he's still not consistent in his results.  Prior seasons he would have a flash here and there and score some goals but everything was muted.

[RangersIn7]

56 minutes ago, Br4d said:

 

This season, although he's still not consistent in his results.  Prior seasons he would have a flash here and there and score some goals but everything was muted.

If you’re saying results in terms of being on the scoresheet every night, yeah, ok.

 

His effort has been high and consistent.

His quality of play has been high and consistent.

Him being a noticeable player on the ice and a factor in games has been high and consistent.

 
More points will come so long as that continues.

 And still room for improvement. 

[Sharpshooter]

He keeps playing like this and he'll be a point-per-game player before too long. Tremendous strides this year, and oozing confidence.

[RangersIn7]

1 hour ago, Sharpshooter said:

He keeps playing like this and he'll be a point-per-game player before too long. Tremendous strides this year, and oozing confidence.

And he’s taken a step- albeit a smaller step- on the defensive side of things too. 

[Br4d]

43 minutes ago, RangersIn7 said:

And he’s taken a step- albeit a smaller step- on the defensive side of things too. 

 

The step on defense is literally a step.  He looks a step faster this year and that has had an effect on his ability to skate back with somebody on defense.

[RangersIn7]

3 minutes ago, Br4d said:

 

The step on defense is literally a step.  He looks a step faster this year and that has had an effect on his ability to skate back with somebody on defense.

Whatever it is, he’s better and more engaged on that end of things too. 

[MuddyInTheMiddle]

3 hours ago, Phil said:

 

Right. It's why I keep saying Benoit Pouliot.

Maybe they can put him on a line with Brassard and Zucarello and then Edmonton can give a 5 million X 5 year contract as a UFA?

 

Kidding aside, I see alot of similarities too.

[BrooksBurner]

What an indictment of Kakko that Jonny Brodzinski can step in and contribute 4 pts in 2 games playing in the top 9. Kakko had 3 points in 20 games.