RW Kaapo Kakko - TPS, Liiga (2019 Draft) Part 5

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If Kakko can deal with the Finnish media, then he should be fine just about anywhere in NHL.

Finnish media have about 5 Kakko hype pieces a day.

Also Sweden media has lot of writings about him and already at Tps many my friends (kärpät fans) started to fan him as induvidual. And now at WHC besides team Slovakia, Kakko seems to be their fans favorite according aftergame shoutings "KAKKO, KAKKO" with Finnish fans.
So if he performs like this or even with 50% power I'm sure theres no problem at all to win fans hearth.
 
It’s not being pessimistic when trying to avoid the overhyping that a few (mostly Finnish dudes) are doing here.
Interesting to hear this from a guy who spent years overhyping Laine and who probably still would finish top-3 in poll about biggest Finnish homer here.

You are really an extremely agenda ridden poster here if anyone ever has been. And so that you really would understand how awful strawman you once again created, I can easily admit that Kakko has been already playing better than Laine played in the WHC tournament where he broke records and most probably Kakko will also finish with a clearly better tournament in the end.

Sorry, but what you just did at the end of your post was exactly the sad loser mentality, which way too many posters have here, which is creating strawmen out of the other posters posts and using them to fortify your own agenda ridden posting by lying and being disrespectful towards the other posters. A very childish and a very passive aggressively hostile way of posting.
You really don't see yourself from those bolded parts also?
 
The last European winger to go 1st overall was Alexander Ovechkin

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Especially funny because his hockey IQ's looking extremely good, with constant good decision making. And with Kakko's coach calling him gretzky-like with always being in the right place at the right time, that initial argument of him having low hockey IQ looks as ridiculous as always.

I'll double and triple down on the point that Kakko deciding that passing for scoring chances is a waste of time is a sign of good hockey IQ, we've seen what the others can do with his passes. A much better decision to try to score himself, or get a rebound opportunity.
Who has said that Kakko has had low hockey IQ? I haven’t for sure ever claimed that, and I have not ever seen anyone here claim it. If you still don’t understand what I have been , it is that if he has the class of IQ that will make him an absolute superstar in the NHL. I’m not sure of it even now, but at least now I’m starting to see more of a chance of even that being possible.

Still his clearest and best skill is his hands and his quickness with the puck. And a very important thing that he has in spades is his extremely good stamina, which is in fact unbelievable for a an only 18 year old. Still I’m not absolutely sold on him having clear superstar class hockey IQ, although I’m not definitely doubting it as much as before.

And once again to make it clear, I have never doubted that he wouldn’t have good or even very good hockey IQ, but still the hanging on to the puck way too long and wasting the real good chances with it occasionally (especially in Liiga regular season) for sure makes some parts of his hockey IQ even still a bit questionable.

But of course it all could just be him being still a bit immature. And that’s what I have started to suspect maybe more. If that is really the case, then he might even quite likely become a true superstar with his skillset. But I will not be as arrogant to claim even yet that he will for sure be a superstar in the NHL. It might be likely, but it isn’t a sure thing until it really happens. Anyway I have no doubt that he will be in the worst case a very good NHL player. Only serious injuries could maybe threaten that. This I haven’t really doubted at any point.
 
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Interesting to hear this from a guy who spent years overhyping Laine and who probably still would finish top-3 in poll about biggest Finnish homer here.


You really don't see yourself from those bolded parts also?
Nope. And there’s really no shame in losing the biggest homer contest to such powerhouses like you and ijuka. Shared number one position for you guys. I will gladly give you the honor that you both truly deserve and humbly take the 3rd spot. :)
 
Every year there’s a media driven narrative making it seem like there’s a debate for who will get picked 1st overall but it’s always obvious. But this is the first year I can remember where when the Devils come up to the podium I will truly not know if they’ll pick Hughes or Kakko.
 
Especially funny because his hockey IQ's looking extremely good, with constant good decision making. And with Kakko's coach calling him gretzky-like with always being in the right place at the right time, that initial argument of him having low hockey IQ looks as ridiculous as always.

I'll double and triple down on the point that Kakko deciding that passing for scoring chances is a waste of time is a sign of good hockey IQ, we've seen what the others can do with his passes. A much better decision to try to score himself, or get a rebound opportunity.
I guess Ippenator just always assumed Kakko sometimes trying a bit too much with the puck much means poor hockey IQ but didn't see glimpses of his amazing vision and anticipation that always were there.
 
Nope. And there’s really no shame in losing the biggest homer contest to such powerhouses like you and ijuka. Shared number one position for you guys. I will gladly give you the honor that you both truly deserve and humbly take the 3rd spot. :)
Hold your horses.

Even though psychodad has left the boards, his memory still lives on and one simply does not dethrone him that easily.
 
I wonder how awkward itll be at NJ scouting meetings when some scouts say... hey wait a minute, why arent we considering KK 1st overall??

I know for a fact back in 2015 there was one former NJ scout that wanted Barzal instead of Zacha... That didnt fly over too well at meetings cause apparently Barzal was too small and couldnt skate

I'm glad that scout is no longer there.
 
The scary thing about Kakko is how much he has progressed since WJC. He looks like completely different player.

However before bashing too much Hughes' performance so far in the WHC i would keep in mind that how good would Hughes look on that Finnish team under Jukka Jalonen? He's getting kinda buried on team USA under all that talent while the team being kind of dysfunctional. With Jalonen's guidance i bet he would look great either on wing or center. Just look at how Manninen looks for example and Hughes already is kind of same player but many times better.
 
Imagine Rantanen - Barkov - Kakko lineup in a few years.. Ridicilous

Don't you think it might be wiser to put Rantanen and Kakko in different lines and have a monster puck protector in both? Finland will have plenty of options and guys like Kotkaniemi, Aho,Teräväinen and Granlund could benefit from Kakko's and Rantanen's amazing puck protection skills.
 
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The scary thing about Kakko is how much he has progressed since WJC. He looks like completely different player.

However before bashing too much Hughes' performance so far in the WHC i would keep in mind that how good would Hughes look on that Finnish team under Jukka Jalonen? He's getting kinda buried on team USA under all that talent while the team being kind of dysfunctional. With Jalonen's guidance i bet he would look great either on wing or center. Just look at how Manninen looks for example and Hughes already is kind of same player but many times better.

I wondered during the WJC if Kakko was ill. He looked very pale with dark circles under his eyes etc. When I heard about his illnesses it made sense. Now Kakko looks much healthier and fitter.

I agree with your observations about Hughes.
 
Why wouldn't Kakko be scoring in Liiga in the 2020-21 season? Do you think TPS can't afford him? They did have Mikko Koivu in 2012 and Saku Koivu in 2005.

Kakko will be in the NHL next season so no need to even think about this.
 
I wondered during the WJC if Kakko was ill. He looked very pale with dark circles under his eyes etc. When I heard about his illnesses it made sense. Now Kakko looks much healthier and fitter.

I agree with your observations about Hughes.
Kakko’s diabetes and celiac disease have been diagnosed already 5 years ago and he has been getting the proper treatment and care after that. So I don’t think at least those illnesses were causing him any problems during the WJC.
 
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Don't you think it might be wiser to put Rantanen and Kakko in different lines and have a monster puck protector in both? Finland will have plenty of options and guys like Kotkaniemi, Aho,Teräväinen and Granlund could benefit from Kakko's and Rantanen's amazing puck protection skills.

Not to mention Laine! :)
 

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