Ovechkin was not known for his shot in his draft year. It was very good, but not even close to what he developed later. Shot power, accuracy and release improves over time. If you watched OV in 2004 or 2005, he wasn’t only parked at the left circle or doing his one-on-one wrister.
Laine was known for his shot. I was comparing the release and timing to Kakko, not the raw power. If you watched Laine in 2016, he was hammering pucks off the pass because that was Tappara’s set play. Kakko is just as good as Laine at hammering hard cross-ice feeds, if not better because of his accuracy.
Receiving a cross-ice pass cleanly and slinging it on net in one motion is a lost art. All these kids try to settle it down and look for the perfect shot. Kakko, like OV/Laine, doesn’t. OV, Laine, Kucherov, Stamkos, Mika are on a short list of NHLers who don’t hesitate off the pass. Kakko has similar traits, albeit at a young age.
When I see Kakko ripping shots from the circle, it reminds me of Ovechkin, Laine and Stamkos not only for his timing, but because he shoots it against the grain and labels that far post.
It’s a deadly shot and will get better. If people disagree, then fine. MSG asked me my opinion and I gave it to them.
