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

[teemussalami1]

Yes, but then again Kotkaniemi went 3rd after a great performance in U18 WJC. He was not even in the top 10 before that tourny. So yes, they do matter. A lot.

Bode Wilde dropped because of the tournament as well

 

[93LEAFS]

Dude, if you knew anything about Montreal's prospects in the last 2-3 years you'd know they have plenty of center depth. Kotkaniemi, Suzuki, Poehling, Evans, Ikonen, Vejdemo are our top prospects for now but obviously they have Danault and Peca on the team who would be an amazing 3rd/4rth line center on any team. Hudon is a center but plays wing for now becase of Plekanec who will be gone after this season to make room for the young guys. Domi and Drouin will shift back to the wing which is their natural position. Mtl will have tons of great wingers but no one exceptional unless Drouin gets back to his Tampa form, Lehkonen/Gallagher manages to hit 30 goals or more. But then again they don't have anyone that can be a lethal sniper like Laine. But if they get Kakko they're all set. Plus Kotkaniemi and Kakko already have great chemistry together so Bergevin might want to reunite them and have an insane Finnish First line (Lehkonen-Kotkaniemi-Kakko).

Then you added NYI which is understandable now that Tavares left for Toronto. Detroit aside from Larkin and Athanasiou don't have anything spectacular and I don't know about their prospects besides Zadina who's a winger nut they have Veleno and Ryan O'reilly (Not the one buffalo but theyre not related).

Colorado has Mackinnon, Jost, Compfer and Soderberg. Theyre just fine but adding Jack Hughes in there wouldn't hurt obviously.

Until you have a clear cut #1 center, you keep on gambling until you get one (if you have adequate depth elsewhere). Having that, allows the rest of your line-up to fall into place, but is also the hardest thing to acquire. Kotkaniemi has a chance of being that, but its not a sure thing. Hughes has a very good shot at being one also. The only prospect Montreal have who is pretty much a lock to be a top 9 NHL center is Kotkaniemi. Suzuki probably ends up on the wing, Pohling has a good shot to be a productive top 9 NHL center, but it isn't a lock.

Generally, if you are bad enough to be drafting in the top 3, you need a franchise center. The only team to win a cup without 2 high-end centers in recent years is Chicago. Pitt had two franchise centers there (arguably the 2 of the 3 best in the league), LA had atleast one and a high-end one if you don't consider Carter a franchise center (he's on the fringe), and Washington probably had 2.

 

[RageQuit77]

And here I am just basing his skill on his amazing name.

In certain way his name reads and sounds very Finnish...

Jack Hughes doesn't look huge even if you thought so. Just look, don't think. Man, he is so small he might get picked around those positions Johnny Hockey was by the inconsistent and suffocating Flames when we were young. Well, that would be funny.

Kaakko then again means southeast in Finnish and if we take one "a" out we will have Kakko himself from the Finnish southwest, or "lounas", translated as lunch I will be out to. Furthermore, this Kakko might be seen as a corrupted form of a very popular if not vernacular expression among toddlers meaning quite literally ****, but being fair and square and roundabout, the most probable etymology of this relatively rare surname points towards "kakkonen" in which the post-fix "nen" should be interpreted as an index of a pedigree, a noble hick of Savolax origin, an eastern province in Finland with many exotic regional pecularities like fish n cock, a kinda bread stuffed with dead and mutilated animals, and loertzy, a sweet apple pastry resembling a hot ****, a cheap and nutritious delicacy sold at town squares and markets, in white wagons and desks by chubby women with loud voices and, more often than not, orgasms - OR a diminutive form of "kakko", a little kakko, known locally as "kakkokukkonen" or, alternatively, "kukkokakkonen", cockycackone, also as "pikkukakkonen" (a pleonasm with too "littles"), a tv show for preschool kids, very handy for single mothers and fathers when no mothers in sight. What else, not much but nevertheless something. We will, after a keen and stern study and multiple test runs reassess and conclude that while our analysis might, in the end, prove to be only a redundant, premature and speculative example of an academic scouting work, report or write-up, of little practical value or applicational merits, let alone commercial potential (yet, we make it), the paper still managed to squeeze out this final implication, logical observation of the inner eye of the intellect: a root word of an equivocal status, "kakko" is in the given context of orders and hierarchies, comparisons and draftings, rankings and ratings, most plausibly interpreted as meaning SECOND, not the standard temporal unit, but rather THE second in the strange order of things and preferences. If we accept this most fluent and natural reading we can casually infer and decide that Kaapo Kakko will be drafted on the second spot in the NHL Entry Draft next summer. Why is that? TBH, we have no frigging clue, only that our predictions seem to hit the bell, bend and curve time and space and become truths. If not, then we heard it through the grapevine or from the table next to us when eating stakes and fries, the French guy had a really weird accent but that is part of our work, he said "kakka'a" if I got it right.

Oh man. LOL

Oh man. LOL! Gem! I was going to rant something like that about his name (that he had no say) but it seems vain now. Just adding that only minor changes to his name it would be:

Kaapu Kakka. Literally meaning, uh... 'Robe Sh*t' [an excrement that soiled a robe].

I'm little bit concerned on his behalf how typical NHL color commentator will pronounce his name when he scores.

Go Kaapo Go!

 

[Narow]

In certain way his name reads and sounds very Finnish...



Oh man. LOL! Gem! I was going to rant something like that about his name (that he had no say) but it seems vain now. Just adding that only minor changes to his name it would be:

Kaapu Kakka. Literally meaning, uh... 'Robe Sh*t' [an excrement that soiled a robe].

I'm little bit concerned on his behalf how typical NHL color commentator will pronounce his name when he scores.

Go Kaapo Go!

"Cape-oh cake-oh"

Heard it here first.

 

[DoubleGold]

I just hope they'll make him play as a C asap. So much potential thrown away if he stays as a winger.

 

[Blade Paradigm]

Kakko looking capable of joining elite draft company • FC Hockey

Kakko looking capable of joining elite draft company
Derek Neumeier
October 4, 2018

Kaapo Kakko is ready to push.

There is widespread consensus within the scouting community that Jack Hughes is the early, clear frontrunner to be the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, but the supremely talented Finnish winger is poised to ensure that whatever team ends up holding that top pick will have a difficult decision.

After all, any time a prospect is scoring at a pace that surpasses what elite NHLers such as Aleksander Barkov and Patrik Laine did in the same league at the same age, it’s impossible not take close notice.

Kakko’s start to the 2018-19 season in Liiga, Finland’s top professional league, has been stellar to say the least, with seven points in his first eight games. Should he continue that near point-per-game pace throughout the season, he would eclipse what Barkov (48 points in 53 games) and Laine (33 points in 46 games) did in their draft seasons.

“Kakko has been outstanding in nearly every game I’ve seen him in,” said Dennis Schellenberg, Future Considerations’ head of European scouting. “Great vision and very good in tight spaces. An overall powerful skater with great top speed. Kakko combines skill, strength and hockey sense, making him another top prospect out of Finland.”

...

“Kakko’s start to the season has been quite amazing since he has been one of the best players in the whole league,” said Finland-based Future Considerations scout Toni Rajamäki. “And that’s quite impressive for a guy this age.”

...

“He has tremendous vision and great puck skills,” Rajamäki said. “He likes to use his size and he can be a really effective player in the corners since he handles the puck well in small places and knows how to protect it.”

While Hughes is still the undisputed jewel of the 2019 class, does Kakko have the potential to unseat him from that perch?
Some of those who’ve watched him the closest believe so.

“If he’s going to continue to play in this fashion for the rest of the season, don’t be surprised if his name pops up in the first overall discussion,” Schellenberg said.

...

Kakko is set to add some attention to the top of the 2019 draft class.

“I think he can challenge Jack Hughes in the fight for the first spot,” Rajamäki added.

"Kakko has been outstanding in nearly every game I’ve seen him in... If he’s going to continue to play in this fashion for the rest of the season, don’t be surprised if his name pops up in the first overall discussion." - Dennis Schellenberg, Future Considerations' European head scout, October 2018


“Kakko’s start to the season has been quite amazing since he has been one of the best players in the whole league. And that’s quite impressive for a guy this age. . . I think he can challenge Jack Hughes in the fight for the first spot." - Toni Rajamäki, Future Considerations' Finland-based scout, October 2018

 

[TAYGB52]

I really like this kid! I hope he challenges for the first overall spot...never mind that...I think he will challenge for the number one spot. Incredible hockey player at the age!

 

[Blade Paradigm]

Jack Hughes has become a household name among NHL fans, but a phenomenal Finnish superstar named Kaapo Kakko is already putting doubt in the minds of scouts about whether or not Hughes will be drafted first overall in 2019.

Kaapo Kakko, a 6'1'', 185 lbs power playmaker whose game has been compared by some to Peter Forsberg's, has dominated Finland's top professional league, Liiga, so far this year. This is the same league that Alexander Barkov, Mikael Granlund, Patrik Laine, Jesse Puljujarvi, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi were drafted from. Out of those players and other Finnish prospects of recent years, some scouts have called Kakko the best since Barkov.

Future Considerations' head of European scouting, Dennis Schellenberg, as well as the service's Finland-based scout, Toni Rajamäki, have been amazed by the special play of Kakko this season:

Kakko looking capable of joining elite draft company • FC Hockey

Kakko looking capable of joining elite draft company
Derek Neumeier
October 4, 2018

Kaapo Kakko is ready to push.

There is widespread consensus within the scouting community that Jack Hughes is the early, clear frontrunner to be the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, but the supremely talented Finnish winger is poised to ensure that whatever team ends up holding that top pick will have a difficult decision.

After all, any time a prospect is scoring at a pace that surpasses what elite NHLers such as Aleksander Barkov and Patrik Laine did in the same league at the same age, it’s impossible not take close notice.

Kakko’s start to the 2018-19 season in Liiga, Finland’s top professional league, has been stellar to say the least, with seven points in his first eight games. Should he continue that near point-per-game pace throughout the season, he would eclipse what Barkov (48 points in 53 games) and Laine (33 points in 46 games) did in their draft seasons.

“Kakko has been outstanding in nearly every game I’ve seen him in,” said Dennis Schellenberg, Future Considerations’ head of European scouting.

“Great vision and very good in tight spaces. An overall powerful skater with great top speed. Kakko combines skill, strength and hockey sense, making him another top prospect out of Finland.”

...

“Kakko’s start to the season has been quite amazing since he has been one of the best players in the whole league,” said Finland-based Future Considerations scout Toni Rajamäki. “And that’s quite impressive for a guy this age.”

Kakko doesn’t turn 18 until mid-February.

“He has tremendous vision and great puck skills,” Rajamäki said. “He likes to use his size and he can be a really effective player in the corners since he handles the puck well in small places and knows how to protect it.”

He scored 10 points in seven games at the 2018 IIHF World Under-18 Championship back in April, playing a key role in helping Finland win gold. Despite being a year younger than most of the competition, Kakko was one of the tournament’s best players.

While Hughes is still the undisputed jewel of the 2019 class, does Kakko have the potential to unseat him from that perch?

Some of those who’ve watched him the closest believe so.

“If he’s going to continue to play in this fashion for the rest of the season, don’t be surprised if his name pops up in the first overall discussion,” Schellenberg said.

...

Kakko is set to add some attention to the top of the 2019 draft class.

“I think he can challenge Jack Hughes in the fight for the first spot,” Rajamäki added.

"Kakko has been outstanding in nearly every game I’ve seen him in... Great vision and very good in tight spaces. An overall powerful skater with great top speed... If he’s going to continue to play in this fashion for the rest of the season, don’t be surprised if his name pops up in the first overall discussion." - Dennis Schellenberg, Future Considerations' Head of European Scouting, Oct. 2018

“Kakko’s start to the season has been quite amazing since he has been one of the best players in the whole league. And that’s quite impressive for a guy this age... I think he can challenge Jack Hughes in the fight for the first spot.” - Toni Rajamaki, Future Considerations Scout, Oct. 2018

Meanwhile, here is the latest publication by Larry Fisher, scout and writer for The Hockey Writers:

https://thehockeywriters.com/2019-nhl-draft-rankings-october/

2019 NHL Draft: Fisher’s Top 124 for October
By Larry Fisher October 9th, 2018

Could we have a two-horse race developing for first overall in 2019?

Dare I say three? Four? Five?

Don’t get me wrong, Jack Hughes is still the frontrunner and may very well go wire-to-wire as No. 1, but I’m sensing some serious challengers.

A “Big Five” is emerging amongst the top forwards and that order could certainly change between now and June. The order of those five remained the same in my rankings from August to October, but the gaps do seem to be narrowing.

Kaapo Kakko is gaining ground on Hughes and may be closer to him than Patrik Laine was to Auston Matthews at this point in their 2016 draft year.

The fact Hughes didn’t up his level of competition the way Matthews did — staying at the U.S. National Team Development Program instead of going overseas to play pro if college wasn’t an option — could hinder Hughes to some degree while opening the door for Kakko and others.

The others — in the “Big Five” — being Vasili Podkolzin, Kirby Dach and Dylan Cozens.



...

"Don’t get me wrong, Jack Hughes is still the frontrunner... but I’m sensing some serious challengers. A 'Big Five' is emerging... Kaapo Kakko is gaining ground on Hughes and may be closer to him than Patrik Laine was to Auston Matthews at this point in their 2016 draft year." - Larry Fisher, The Hockey Writers, Oct. 2018

Others have noted that Hughes, while a flashy player, is not a very defensively-responsible player at all. In fact, he is the type of player who takes risks to generate offense. Here is the opinion of draft analytics researcher @Scouching.

Cam Robinson of Dobber Prospects had an exchange with @Scouting today. While Hughes is talented, his decision-making can be placed into question sometimes.
Will Scouch on Twitter

Will Scouch‏ @Scouching
I'd need to dig in, but I'd leave Honka out of that group. It's still early, but there's a crop separating themselves on my sheet of Kakko, Dach, Suzuki, Krebs, and Kaliyev. Hughes has been underwhelming. Cozens is up there too. Thomas Harley and Dillon Hamaliuk as well so far.
10:17 AM - 15 Oct 2018

Will Scouch on Twitter

Will Scouch‏ @Scouching
I've been watching quite a few NTDP games already this year, and I absolutely am not saying he's not going #1, but he's made some awful awful decisions on top of him being ridiculously good.
10:24 AM - 15 Oct 2018

/Cam Robinson/ on Twitter

/Cam Robinson/‏ @Hockey_Robinson
He hasn’t been the superhero many expected but still so dynamic. I can’t help but think the QoC plays a role though. It’s a shame he couldn’t have jumped up.
10:28 AM - 15 Oct 2018

Some examples of questionable defensive plays by Hughes, as highlighted by @Scouching:

Will Scouch on Twitter: "Pardon the janky video, but between Matt Boldy (9), and Hughes (6), what happened here? They're on the PP during this, mind you." (VIDEO) - 7:01 PM - 14 Oct 2018

Will Scouch on Twitter: "Want another one? Here's another one. Same game. Forgivably loses possession in the NZ, drops back, is given the puck, gets hemmed in, falls down and it could've been much worse." (VIDEO) - 7:11 PM - 14 Oct 2018

Robinson suggests that the lack of challenge (Quality of Competition) is allowing Hughes' game to slip.

However, the fact that Hughes isn't lighting up the stat sheet at anywhere near the rate that was expected of him leads me to think there's more to it than the league being "too easy." If he was torching the league and cheating defensively, that would be a different story; his numbers, on the contrary, are disappointing so far.

To cast further doubts about Jack Hughes, his production so far this year has been disappointing. Currently, Hughes has 2 goals, 11 points in 8 games in his D+0 season with the U18 USNTDP. The most successful D+0 season ever by a player with the U18 team was Clayton Keller with 37 goals, 107 points in 62 games in 2015-16.

Kaapo Kakko, on the other hand, has been a dominant force in Liiga, with 9 points in 12 games against Finland's top professional players. To compare, Patrik Laine had 33 points in 46 games in his draft year. Alexander Barkov scored 48 points in 53 games in his draft season. The Liiga season is 60 games in length, and generally the top scorer averages 60 points in 60 games. Kakko is 17 years old and the best player on his Liiga team, TPS Turku.

Hughes is 5'10'', 165 lbs, and currently plays a risky style of game. Skill-wise, he and Kakko are quite similar. Their puck skills belong in the top tier of this draft class. However, Kakko plays a much more powerful game with exceptional balance, agility, strength, and aggressiveness -- a Forsberg-esque game of shiftiness along the boards, power, and elegance with the puck. Hughes plays a high-tempo game but tends to shy away from contact and has an underwhelming shot, hence he is mostly a speedy playmaker.

To complicate things further, the Finnish national program intends to have Kakko be a centerman, a position that he has played before and can adapt to at the professional level. Hughes, at 5'10'', 165 lbs, meanwhile, faces some of the same questions about playing center as Mitch Marner and Clayton Keller did -- both play wing at the NHL level.

FinnProspects on Twitter: "Kaapo Kakko about playing center in an Finnish newspaper interview: "I've played center previously in juniors and a few games in the national team as well. But I'm fine with playing in the wing now." National team coach Jukka Jalonen would also like to see Kakko playing center."

On Kaapo Kakko, what we should expect from him in 2018-19, and the difference between him and Jack Hughes - DraftGeek

]On Kaapo Kakko, what we should expect from him in 2018-19, and the difference between him and Jack Hughes
September 22, 2018 | NHL Draft | Sam Happi

...

So What Seperates Kakko From Jack Hughes?

Not as much as you might think. Hughes is an incredibly intelligent playmaker that’s a constant threat, but Kakko is insanely talented himself. The Finn utilizes his body exceptionally well, using his frame and reach to protect the puck. He can slice through a defence this way, identifying holes and slicing through them, using that puck protection to prevent defenders from even having a chance at a poke check. His intelligence and hands shine whenever he possesses the puck, and knocking him off of it is no easy feat.

Barring a surprising demotion, Kakko will spend his 2018-19 season in the Finnish professional league.

Jack Hughes, meanwhile, will play for the USNTDP U18 program, where the level of play is criminally lower than his skill level. It’s possible that his play becomes somewhat stagnant there, because he won’t ever be facing anybody that can challenge his level of talent.

If Kakko does well in the Liiga, that could be the straw that works against Hughes, and could be responsible for him falling out of the #1 position. Kakko will have proven himself against men, whereas the highlight of Hughes’ resume will only feature domination of weak competition.

For reference, the NHLe league translation factor for the Liiga is over 6 and a half times that of the USNTDP

....

"Barring a surprising demotion, Kakko will spend his 2018-19 season in the Finnish professional league. Jack Hughes, meanwhile, will play for the USNTDP U18 program, where the level of play is criminally lower than his skill level... If Kakko does well in the Liiga, that could be the straw that works against Hughes, and could be responsible for him falling out of the #1 position.

Kakko will have proven himself against men, whereas the highlight of Hughes’ resume will only feature domination of weak competition. For reference, the NHLe league translation factor for the Liiga is over 6 and a half times that of the USNTDP." - Sam Happi, DraftGeek.com, Sept. 2018

Nick Kypreos stated today, during his analysis of the Elias Pettersson incident, that there is an "internal debate" happening with regards to whether Jack Hughes should play in the NHL next season.

Is A Two Game Suspension Enough For Mike Matheson’s Hit On Elias Pettersson?| Tim and Sid

Joe Marino on Twitter

Joe Marino‏ @JoeTCBNHL
“There’s some internal debate with Jack Hughes on whether or not he’s gonna play next year (in the NHL)” -Nick Kypreos
9:11 PM - 15 Oct 2018

There is already a debate about which player should be selected first overall, as Kakko is rising and Hughes is falling. With the 2019 World Junior Championships in Vancouver likely being a pivotal point in this debate, there could be a new first-overall favorite by the start of the new year.

 

[Blade Paradigm]

Some clips of Kaapo Kakko (#24 in white/black uniforms) from this season so far to consider:







A few other plays by Kakko this season:

Kaapo Kakko 1A vs Sport | Sep 22 2018

Kaapo Kakko OT Goal vs HPK | Sep 14 2018

Kaapo Kakko 1G vs Red Bull Munich | Sep 6 2018

Kaapo Kakko penalty shot goal vs Malmö IF | Sep 8 2018

Kaapo Kakko shootout goal vs Kärpät | Sep 18 2018

 

[Blade Paradigm]

Some plays to consider by Jack Hughes from this season:





This is the full shift-by-shift performance against Team Canada U20 at the Summer Showcase in August; it is the highest level of competition he has faced -- a great game to assess in order to have a sense of who this player is:



Another example of Hughes on the defensive side: Will Scouch on Twitter

 

[Patrik Barkov]

Jets could use a center more than a winger so Hughes it is.

 

[Mugzy97]

Every year there is a clear number 1, and then all of a sudden someone "closes in" on them. It's all for hype for the draft. Hughes is still the clear #1.

 

[Blade Paradigm]

Every year there is a clear number 1, and then all of a sudden someone "closes in" on them. It's all for hype for the draft. Hughes is still the clear #1.

The 2017 draft was supposed to be the Nolan Patrick Draft.

Not only did Nico Hischier surpass him on draft day, but now Elias Pettersson has become the overlooked gem of the 2017 class, one of the reasons being that he did not play in North America.

31 Thoughts: NHL embracing new era of fun, personality - Sportsnet.ca

31 Thoughts: NHL embracing new era of fun, personality
Elliotte Friedman
October 10, 2018, 11:28 AM

...

11. “Here’s one for you,” an amateur scout said. “Can you find the NHL team that had [Elias] Pettersson No. 1 on its draft board?”

12. The Canucks produced a draft video after Pettersson’s fifth-overall selection in 2017, revealing they felt safe trading down one spot with Vegas, but were worried about the Rangers — picking seventh. One executive indicated that if Pettersson had followed top pick Nico Hischier to North America the season beforehand, the current Canuck would have been No. 1. Another disagreed, if only because it is so hard to be dominant with his body structure.

“You need to be special if you’re built the way he is,” a third said of Pettersson, who’s currently listed at 6’2″ and 176 pounds on the Canucks’ website. “I had no doubt that he was the most talented player in his draft class. Him not playing in North America and being so physically raw prevented him [from going] first overall in my opinion.”

...

"One executive indicated that if Pettersson had followed top pick Nico Hischier to North America the season beforehand, the current Canuck would have been No. 1." - Elliotte Friedman, Oct. 2018

“I had no doubt that he was the most talented player in his draft class. Him not playing in North America and being so physically raw prevented him [from going] first overall in my opinion.” - another NHL scout, per Elliotte Friedman, Oct. 2018

Likewise, Kakko only this year moved up to Liiga full time. His exposure has increased greatly this season compared to last year, where international tournaments were the basis of most scouts' knowledge of him. Pettersson, playing in Allsvenskan in his draft year, was judged mostly by international play. Liiga is a huge step up in terms of exposure in Europe, and it's also one of the top professional leagues in the world.

Filip Forsberg is another player who received less exposure than he deserved in 2012. By consensus, he was ranked #2 overall, behind Nail Yakupov of the OHL's Sarnia Sting. Forsberg, like Pettersson, played in the Allsvenskan in his draft season.

 

[Mugzy97]

The 2017 draft was supposed to be the Nolan Patrick Draft.

Not only did Nico Hischier surpass him on draft day, but now Elias Pettersson has become the overlooked gem of the 2017 class, one of the reasons being that he did not play in North America.

The top end of that draft was weak, no surprise that it got shuffled around.

 

[Tommy Shelby]

I'm fully on the Kakko train

 

[bobholly39]

I remember the McDavid draft year all year long I kept hearing about how Eichel is going to make a race out of it, and how some people were saying "well maybe you think about it before you pick #1". Obviously in reality it was never close.

I don't follow prospects very closely - but hype is a huge component here.

 

[BB88]

Every year there is a clear number 1, and then all of a sudden someone "closes in" on them. It's all for hype for the draft. Hughes is still the clear #1.

Even if Kakko keeps beasting throughout the season?

We should just select the 1st overall a year earlier and no one can challenge them? even when their play deserves it.

 

[NewLife]

Some clips of Kaapo Kakko (#24 in white/black uniforms) from this season so far to consider:







A few other plays by Kakko this season:

Kaapo Kakko 1A vs Sport | Sep 22 2018

Kaapo Kakko OT Goal vs HPK | Sep 14 2018

Kaapo Kakko 1G vs Red Bull Munich | Sep 6 2018

Kaapo Kakko penalty shot goal vs Malmö IF | Sep 8 2018

What a beast.

 

[Mugzy97]

Even if Kakko keeps beasting throughout the season?

We should just select the 1st overall a year earlier and no one can challenge them? even when their play deserves it.

I'm not saying Kakko isn't good, but Hughes is also very good. It's possible Kakko could elevate his game for the full season and make people think about it, but it's just as possible his play falls off and he slides. I'm just saying at this point in time, there's a clear #1.

 

[Zamuz]

I'm not saying Kakko isn't good, but Hughes is also very good. It's possible Kakko could elevate his game for the full season and make people think about it, but it's just as possible his play falls off and he slides. I'm just saying at this point in time, there's a clear #1.

I don't think anyone can say he is clear #1 yet. He has barely even started the season, could be that he won't have that much development which makes many GM's doubt him about being 1st overall.

If he has exactly same PPG as last season, would you be confident about him being clear #1?

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

I have Kaapo Kakko ahead of Hughes. He is exactly the type of player the Oilers need.

Another 1st overall to the Oilers!

 

[BB88]

I'm not saying Kakko isn't good, but Hughes is also very good. It's possible Kakko could elevate his game for the full season and make people think about it, but it's just as possible his play falls off and he slides. I'm just saying at this point in time, there's a clear #1.

Can you tell a weakness in Kakkos game?
There's really not a major weakness to his game and he can be beast with the puck against men already at 17y.

And for those saying this is Matthews vs Laine 2.0 this is nothing like it.

 

[Neuf]

Every year there is a clear number 1, and then all of a sudden someone "closes in" on them. It's all for hype for the draft. Hughes is still the clear #1.

Accurate .

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

Every year there is a clear number 1, and then all of a sudden someone "closes in" on them. It's all for hype for the draft. Hughes is still the clear #1.

Just like 2017?

 

[trick9]

I think he has a serious chance to go 1st if he moves to a center position successfully during the season. Their talent levels are awfully close and Kakko has the size but very few teams would draft a winger over center if they are otherwise close.