I May Be In The Minority . . . But I Believe That Kaapo Kakko Could Be Selected 1st Overall in 2019

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crassbonanza

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Sep 28, 2017
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That's what happens. That doesn't mean that the majority of people even on the forums are supportive of Kakko, though. The ones who go against the consensus are the ones who want to be heard because they disagree.

You very well may be right, but that is not what I was discussing. My initial post was that a large majority making a comment on these forums has been in support of Kakko should go 1st overall, while claiming they are alone in this thought. It might be because of the reason you stated, it might be because a majority of the fans online think Kakko is the best, however, vocal Kakko supporters(which is what I was talking about) far outnumber Hughes supporters. Not that there is anything wrong with that and I am not saying one is better than the other.
 

Lepardi

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There's a decent chance Kakko not partaking at the U18s but instead plays in the men's World Championships instead.

Is it possible that Hughes would play in the men's WHC as well? They begin 12 days after the U18 final.

If TPS makes it to the finals, Kakko won't be at the U18 tournament. TPS playing in the finals would also probably mean that there's no time for Jalonen to check him out in the pre-tournament games.

And if TPS doesn't make it to the finals, is it completely out of the question that Kakko might go to the U18s and join the men's team after that? Three World Championship gold medals in five months would be nice.
 
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ijuka

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But Mikael Granlund had more points than Kakko at that age.
Small player, bad skater. Also, Granlund doesn't have such good basic skills training.

Remember TPS has pretty much the best track record out of all Finnish clubs, outside of perhaps Tappara when it comes to developing talented players. Recently, there's been Ristolainen and Rantanen. The top prospects from other teams tend to transfer to TPS's off-season training regime - As a bit of a bonus, they have Saku Koivu as a minor coach for instance, etc.
 

Lepardi

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We all know Granlund is a superstar on bigger rink.

Kakko is better build for NHL, and from the new development age.

I'm certainly not trying to argue that Granlund was a better prospect. He stayed in Finland for two seasons after being drafted, and when he finally crossed the Atlantic, he still wasn't ready for the NHL. He got thrown around the ice like a ragdoll and was sent to the minors, but came back much stronger for the 2013-14 season and has been a solid NHLer ever since.

Kakko on the other hand will probably be a solid NHLer come October 2019.
 

Konnan511

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In terms of:
Acceleration:
Speed:
Shot:
Passing:
IQ:
Strength:
Who has the edge? From everything I've read it seems like Kappo is only behind in speed and acceleration.
 

fr9dd9

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I could not think of one reason why he wouldnt be THE #1

Made this video by already existing content on youtube.
 
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FinnishSniper

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In terms of:
Acceleration:
Speed:
Shot:
Passing:
IQ:
Strength:
Who has the edge? From everything I've read it seems like Kappo is only behind in speed and acceleration.
Acceleration: Hughes
Speed: Hughes
Shot: Kakko
Passing: I'd say tied
IQ: Who knows
Strength: Kakko

The difference in shot and strenght is far bigger than the difference between acceleration and speed though
 
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Nuckler

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May 7, 2013
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I think if colarado picks first they are taking kakko 10/10 times, they already have dynamic speed on their top line and adding another element like kakkos puck possession and strength I think makes them harder to game plan for.

I'm also worried about Hughes getting run over playing in high traffic areas he'll need to play in to score goals. It only take one bad injury to derail his skating and Canucks fans have already seen Patterson(Montreal) and rousell(nyr) have serious knee injuries this year
 
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StreetHawk

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Now I think 50% chance Kakko goes 1st. He's been trending up all year while Hughes has been trending down.
It’s not about trending so much as it is teams projection of what they should be as a pro.

What is realistic for each guy? And what position do you expect them to play in the NHL? Kakko, some feel can be a C. So if he is does he compare to Barkov? Is Hughes a C in the NHL or is he a winger like Marner and Kane?

Depends what you like more if those are your projections. Fla opted for Barkov over Drouin and Jones back in 2013.

CBS projected PLD to be a 1C so they took him. I’m sure there are teams that will have Kakko rated higher. One team has to make that decision.
 

tuozzi

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Dec 9, 2011
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Acceleration: Hughes
Speed: Hughes
Shot: Kakko
Passing: I'd say tied
IQ: Who knows
Strength: Kakko

The difference in shot and strenght is far bigger than the difference between acceleration and speed though
I'm not so sure about that. Kakko is not very fast at all. I think that's a bit of a weakness of his that no one seems to address for some reason. Don't get me wrong, he's definitely an amazing player, but to become a star player in the NHL that's something he needs to improve on.
 
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