I May Be In The Minority . . . But I Believe That Kaapo Kakko Could Be Selected 1st Overall in 2019
- Thread starter Blade Paradigm
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kelsier
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- Aug 17, 2013
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I wouldn't be surprised if Kakko was picked first to be honest, but the season has barely begun so for now lets just sit back and enjoy the show. In any case, I don't think we'll see him ahead of Hughes in any official lists before the WJCs to be honest, cause the scouting agencies (even if they preferred him over Hughes at the moment) don't want to look silly in the eyes of NA'n viewers if Hughes turned out capable of having greater WJC showing. The 9 points in 12 games does not do him much justice compared to all the wasted scoring chances he's created so far. I wished they'd let Kakko try play center in the league once Korpikoski comes back and have Wirtanen dropped out of the first line. He's got all the tools you'd want from the first line center, apart from maybe elite shot. For the first time I'm seeing this kind of a domination from any prospect in FEL where someone is almost doing whatever he wants on the ice. Watched some of his clips from this season with a friend yesterday (who doesn't really follow up on prospects) and he said instantly "just like watching Forsberg" and I told him that's the exact player most fans have compared him to so far.
If Kakko played with Palve, he'd smash the PPG barrier easily. I don't know why they insist on playing him with another playmaker instead of a goal scorer. On the other hand maybe it's better this way so he learns to rely on his own skills more to score goals.
If Kakko played with Palve, he'd smash the PPG barrier easily. I don't know why they insist on playing him with another playmaker instead of a goal scorer. On the other hand maybe it's better this way so he learns to rely on his own skills more to score goals.
Blade Paradigm
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For reference, the line combinations from the past two TPS matches; these have been the lines for most of the season so far:
Filpulla has never been much of a goal scorer. Last season, he scored 5 goals in 35 games, which tied him for 13th on TPS Turku.
Petrus Palmu and Olli Juolevi, prospects Canucks fans are familiar with, both had more goals than Filpulla last season; Palmu had 17, while Juolevi had 7.
Filpulla already has 4 goals this year in 12 games on Kakko's line. Palve doesn't have much of a goal-scoring history in Liiga either, but so far this season he has 8 goals.
Kakko's center, Petteri Wirtanen, played in the KHL from 2014 to 2018. He scored 1 goal in 2017-18, 3 goals in 2016-17, and 3 goals in 2015-16.
Zach Budish, who started the season on Kakko's line, has a better recent goal-scoring history with 20 goals in Liiga last season and 15 goals in 2016-17, but he has played most of his games so far this season on Palve's line.
Kakko's line seems somewhat mismatched, although this hasn't stopped him.
UPDATE:
According to Finnish prospect analyst Marco Bombino of McKeen's Hockey (his second Twitter account is @FINjrhockey), TPS has switched up its lines today for its Champions League match. Kakko will center the top line with Patrick Bjorkstrand and 19-year-old Lauri Pajuniemi on his wings. Kakko makes his professional center debut today.
Filpulla has never been much of a goal scorer. Last season, he scored 5 goals in 35 games, which tied him for 13th on TPS Turku.
Petrus Palmu and Olli Juolevi, prospects Canucks fans are familiar with, both had more goals than Filpulla last season; Palmu had 17, while Juolevi had 7.
Filpulla already has 4 goals this year in 12 games on Kakko's line. Palve doesn't have much of a goal-scoring history in Liiga either, but so far this season he has 8 goals.
Kakko's center, Petteri Wirtanen, played in the KHL from 2014 to 2018. He scored 1 goal in 2017-18, 3 goals in 2016-17, and 3 goals in 2015-16.
Zach Budish, who started the season on Kakko's line, has a better recent goal-scoring history with 20 goals in Liiga last season and 15 goals in 2016-17, but he has played most of his games so far this season on Palve's line.
Kakko's line seems somewhat mismatched, although this hasn't stopped him.
UPDATE:
According to Finnish prospect analyst Marco Bombino of McKeen's Hockey (his second Twitter account is @FINjrhockey), TPS has switched up its lines today for its Champions League match. Kakko will center the top line with Patrick Bjorkstrand and 19-year-old Lauri Pajuniemi on his wings. Kakko makes his professional center debut today.
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Wait but I'm sure I heard so many people say "he's never played center" and "will never play center"?
teravaineSAROS
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- Jul 29, 2015
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Never read or heard that statement in my life. People just said he's not a center as of now
BleedWell
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- Jan 6, 2018
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Tonight they are rolling with only three lines and with only one real center, Kuru. So tonight's game is pure humor.
FissionFire
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If a center and a winger are close to even, the center is always the choice. This guy would really have to put himself on a tier above Hughes to go 1st
newfy
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Hes not a winger though, hes a center. Hughes might be a winger at t he next level
Lemonlimey
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DDRhockey
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The quest to upset hughesKakko at center....it begins
nickdawg95
scoutdawg
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stampedingviking
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ChicagoBullsFan
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Oilers better fire McLellan i don't want see Todd making same to Kakko what he's done to Puljujärvi.
PS being honest i don't wanna see Kakko ending to Oiler not that management what Oilers has now.
If you really think Hughes has been worse than Keller than you are 100% not watching his games. Watch some games and stop reading this thread.
EnglishJet
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Is he still playing center or was this just a one-off? I think that'll be such a factor in him catching Hughes.
Artorius Horus T
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And you should learn to analyze hockey better, watching hockey games isn't enough, one needs to actually understand hockey, a lot.
Compared to his last season, Hughes has not made any progress, where as others (Kakko and the rest) have made tons, many of the risers
look like completely different players this season.
I might not have seen Hughes games, but ive seen all of his highlight videos and comparing them to
last season ones, its exactly like the last season, same oll schtick over and over, that what he does now,
won't always work in the NHL, long run. If he isn't able to improve himself, add more dimension in his game...
Not that i believe he wont be a regular NHL:er, that would be a daft thing to claim,
but i don't claim that he is gonna be a elite/franchise player either, something like a 50-60 point player
(with current development...lack of it rather).
Blade Paradigm
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Yes.
In fact, as the season has progressed, he has been given more opportunities to play center. Last week, he played his first two Liiga league games as a center. He played very well.
Kaapo Kakko | FinnProspects.com
kroypuck
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- Mar 23, 2018
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Newfoundland
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Just Linda
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Rabid Ranger
2 is better than one
So what you’re saying is you don’t have any credibility when it comes to evaluating this player?
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