He's made improvements.
He's great on the forecheck and carrying the puck in the zone.
He has a heavy and good shot. IT can be refined further as well as his release.
He needs a lot of work on faceoffs. I think he has what it takes to become a 'workhorse' like another Zibs. Maybe start PKing him soon?
I still see him have trouble in the O-Zone with positioning. He's so awkward in this area. Even in transition, if he doesn't have the puck, he occasionally suffocates the puck carrier... he has improved slightly but can he find the soft spots and put himself in position to succeed with say, a Panarin? IMO that's where he needs work.
His playmaking needs to develop as well.
I wonder if they take him to UFA or eat a couple years with his next contract. 5-6 year deal? 7 years would bring him to 29. 7x5 could potentially look like a steal when he's 23-24 years old.
What's funny Kakko is exhibiting some things that plagued Chytil last year. He went from a god-tier puck handling magician to looking like a beer leaguer.