Saying Hughes has the higher ceiling because of size is ridiculous. Kakko is just as immature physically as Hughes. Kakko just has natural strenght, but just as his teammates of TPS have said, he looks like a twig. He can easily develop his physicality to dominate even more by adding like 30 pounds.
RW Kaapo Kakko - TPS, Liiga (2019 Draft) Part 5
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Btw this is great picture to see how freaking small Kakkos legs actually are. Just look how skinny he is.
He got tons to improve on that area and that is scary how hard it will be then to take puck away from him.
RageQuit77
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Is he still even achieved his full adult height? Granted, Kaapo is physically little bit abnormal (in positive sense of word) for Finnish youth, being both exceptionally mature for his age, but also exceptionally athletic in use of and for his current frame and body.
However, that doesn't anyway mean he is fully grown man. And that, that makes it very scary to think what he might become in few years.
But can you explain why he´s carrying that schoolboy around on the ice?
Good luck charm?
Kakko has been one of the smallest kids on the team all his career, until he hit his growth spurt, I’d say he could still grow a little bit. I agree with you a 100%. The kid’s potential is only bigger to Hughes’ in my opinion as physicality is the smallest part of his game, where as for Kakko it’s one of the bigger parts of his style.
In a nutshell Kakko’s physical maturing will have a far greater impact on his dominance than Hughes’s
Narow
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- Nov 11, 2016
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Well i care but many times in highlights package i dont know who is who when clips are rapidly changing. Atleast id appreciate in some clips were the player really excells to have a second or two paus at the start of it with names and/or highlighting on the player/players. It can bring alot to a clip where i normally just see a player deke thru defenses not realizing that player just deked lidström or something :pHaha maybe, The people watching that really cares about that stuff will see anyway dont you think?
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RageQuit77
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Few summers in The Rautala's body farm will do miracles for Kaapo. He may have had even benefits from his strict menu and limited choices of nutrition due his diseases. Probably very little fat in his body, very "dry" muscular constitution. Its interesting to see what happens when he get slightly more explosive force to his legs. I wonder have his diseases and nutrition possibly played some role in his development and growth.
If so, I can see such influences only as positive, considering how it looks now on-ice. Of course, every disease is bad thing per se, but if it's like overall better fitness in malaria survival expectancy scenarios for people who has SCD in analogy to indirect health benefits and higher "fitness" coming from strict nutrition of Diabetes and celiac over crucial growing years... I don't know, but been just wondering...
Certainly he doesn't look sick on ice!!! /Edit: I realized that "sick" isn't best choice of word here as He has indeed demonstrated rather "sick" game playing skills. Maybe 'ill' would be better word in this context.
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Henkka
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What does "most audible fans" even mean? People on internet or are you suggesting fans in the stands would start booing him?
Regardless, the management and coaching staff is not going to alter how they utilize a player based on any of this.
teravaineSAROS
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- Jul 29, 2015
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Big boys like Barkov, Rantanen and Ristolainen improved their skating a lot after being drafted. Risto was always athletic like that but Kakko's skating is currently much better than Rantanen's and especially Barkov's at that age.
RageQuit77
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This. When you can put Kakko to same sentence with these guys without any kind arbitrary violence. For example 18yo Barkov looks very "late bloomer" compared to Kakko's current form.
Hockeyisl1fe
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- Dec 8, 2016
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Gotta agree that it's a bit silly that his "readiness" for the NHL is somehow not purely seen as a positive thing. I mean I guess I'd get it if that was really his main asset as a player for now. The problem is that his hands, passing and creativity with the puck could be seen as equal parts for his game as well. It's quite a surface level analysis to conclude he is able to play at this level so well solely because of how strong he is on his skates. Barkov was deemed as the most "physically ready for the NHL" player ever from Finland and has continued to improve to this day since being drafted about 6 years ago.
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The comments to this post are very funny.
I agree with all this. But I think all Kakko fans should realize that especially going through the training with Rautala (which I think will be a great thing for Kakko eventually) means that they will most probably focus mostly in adding general strength and strength to his core for the first two or three NHL off-seasons. This is because he (as any young and physically raw player) will need to have a good basis for getting the needed strength for the NHL and also for gaining a solid basis for training the leg explosiveness for improving his skating. It should also help him most likely better avoid more serious injuries during his career.
This is the development path that Ristolainen, Rantanen and Laine have all had while training with Rautala. Laine is still just getting to the phase where he should start getting at least some results with improving the skating. Rantanen started clearly getting visible improvement to his skating already during the 2017-2018 season. Barkov also had a multi year plan to clearly improve his skating. With another trainer, but still very similar path. It is in general the development path often chosen for players that don’t have very much of natural explosiveness by birth. It can be trained, but it’s a long and hard path for those who don’t have it naturally.
The core should be first strong enough, before it’s optimal to concentrate very much in training the leg muscle explosiveness. This will most probably take 3-4 years, so I wouldn’t start expecting great skating improvement before his 3rd or 4th NHL season. And this doesn’t mean that he can’t do very well in the NHL already before that. His skating seems fine in general, although he can still improve his top speed and acceleration.
I just mean that it’s very likely that we will see the real superstar class player when he is about 22-23 years old, if he does have that kind of a talent in him. I have to admit that it might really be possible for him, but he still has a long way to that. As anyone not named Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux would have as an 18 year old.
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Jussi
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He's at 86 kilos so that would take him closer to 100 kilos. Current norm with NHL players is a leaner figure, e.g. Ristolainen, Rantanen and Barkov have shed some weight.
Yeah I think he could be around 92-95 kilos. MacKinnon is like 90 kilos?
MacKinnon is built like a goddamn tank for his height. So I would say his measures are something like 182-183 cm and 93-94 kg. I think Kakko can easily be at least a couple of kg’s heavier in his prime, as he is anyways clearly taller than MacKinnon.
Of course no need to be too heavy, but I wouldn’t still be surprised if he would weigh something like 95-97 kg in his prime.
True, I’d say around 93 would be good, but he will also get rid of all the unnecessary fat
Hockeyisl1fe
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Here's my 100% objective and correct analysis of the differences between Hughes and Kakko:
Skating: I think it's clear Hughes is the better skater overall, mainly due to his amazing top speed. Top speed also happens to be Kakko's weakness. Both are extremely agile, though.
Playmaking/vision/etc: I'd give this to Hughes as well. Both have displayed great vision and passing, but I think Hughes has a bit more creativity and is able to process his options quicker at high speeds.
Goalscoring: This one goes to Kakko, as he has a better shot and is able to force his way into dangerous areas.
Hands: basically a tie. They use them a bit differently due to having very different playing styles, but both have amazing hands.
Physical attributes: I think this is the biggest difference between the two along with skating. Kakko is a monster not just among his peers, but among pro players as well. This is also the tallest hurdle for Hughes to clear. I watched the U20s and U18s, and he is weaker than his average peer. Naturally he will grow, but it is unlikely he will outgrow his peers, and thus he will always have to punch up.
Overall: I can't really confidently say which one will be better in the future. If I had to pick one to play a playoff game for my team today, I would obviously pick Kakko. But 5 years in the future? How much stronger is Hughes, how well has his game adapted to the NHL level? Has Kakko's top speed improved, has his strength plateaued? I don't want to sound like some enlightened centrist here, but neither is a perfect prospect, and I think they are too close currently to make a confident decision. I would happily take the 2nd pick this year.
Skating: I think it's clear Hughes is the better skater overall, mainly due to his amazing top speed. Top speed also happens to be Kakko's weakness. Both are extremely agile, though.
Playmaking/vision/etc: I'd give this to Hughes as well. Both have displayed great vision and passing, but I think Hughes has a bit more creativity and is able to process his options quicker at high speeds.
Goalscoring: This one goes to Kakko, as he has a better shot and is able to force his way into dangerous areas.
Hands: basically a tie. They use them a bit differently due to having very different playing styles, but both have amazing hands.
Physical attributes: I think this is the biggest difference between the two along with skating. Kakko is a monster not just among his peers, but among pro players as well. This is also the tallest hurdle for Hughes to clear. I watched the U20s and U18s, and he is weaker than his average peer. Naturally he will grow, but it is unlikely he will outgrow his peers, and thus he will always have to punch up.
Overall: I can't really confidently say which one will be better in the future. If I had to pick one to play a playoff game for my team today, I would obviously pick Kakko. But 5 years in the future? How much stronger is Hughes, how well has his game adapted to the NHL level? Has Kakko's top speed improved, has his strength plateaued? I don't want to sound like some enlightened centrist here, but neither is a perfect prospect, and I think they are too close currently to make a confident decision. I would happily take the 2nd pick this year.
Brunomics
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- Sep 2, 2006
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I don't see how Kakko isn't first overall. I always thought Hughes will be a very good 75-85 point player. But Kakko to me just looks like he'll be one of those scary good players you just can't stop. Draft him and put him on Hischier's line. Those two for the next ten years will be something else.
Fazkovsky
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- Sep 4, 2013
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Dont forget T.Hall. I still have a strong feeling NJ will take Hughes. Fellow 'merican
RageQuit77
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Good review @TheFinnishTrap (I have some structural problems to react comments adequately )
Stamina. Stamina is one of Kaapo's weaknesses currently (noted by some scouting agencies too) strength-wise, and that only relatively. That's not something out-of-character considering his age and how intensive he seems to be in his typical shifts. However, I do not see that truly big problem in longer run as that can be fixed.
Otherwise, I agree with you nearly 100% about Kaako and Jack. Well written and thought comment.
)Stamina. Stamina is one of Kaapo's weaknesses currently (noted by some scouting agencies too) strength-wise, and that only relatively. That's not something out-of-character considering his age and how intensive he seems to be in his typical shifts. However, I do not see that truly big problem in longer run as that can be fixed.
Otherwise, I agree with you nearly 100% about Kaako and Jack. Well written and thought comment.
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