Kaapo Kakko has spent this season dropping jaws on the ice and on the scoresheet. He’s held up to and thrived against professional competition while putting up big numbers unlike almost anyone before him. The newly turned 18-year-old holds a 0.82 PPG in the Finnish pro league, the Liiga. This tremendous season puts him at 3rd for all time U18 PPG and putting him behind only Mikael Granlund and NHL superstar Aleksander Barkov. He’s making it clear Finland has produced another prospect of the highest tier.
THE PULJUJARVI COMPARISON
In terms of production, Kakko lacks an accurate comparison. Although when it comes to his on-ice game Kakko highly resembles that of Jesse Puljujarvi. Kakko plays almost exactly Puljujarvi. The two are both high tempo power forwards. Each has all-around offensive arsenals that allow them to play any situation. Puljujarvi especially has a booming shot that will give any goalie nightmares, and Kakko is around there too. Both serve as major shooting threats when the puck is on their stick. They can also play hard nose grinding hockey to retrieve pucks and create opportunities for their teams. With size, speed, and strength both can take the puck into dangerous areas and get a shot off under pressure and at high speed. They drive the net hard and either score or create rebounds. The two also possess elite puck skills with the ability to walk opponents and cut around defenders in tight spaces. Each protects the puck exceptionally well. Using size and speed it’s very hard to strip each of the puck.
LOOKING BACK AT PULJU’S DRAFT YEAR
Looking back to each of their draft years it’s clear who stands ahead. Kakko, as we know, is having a historic season for TPS Turku in the Finnish Liiga. Puljujarvi played a stellar year for Karpat Oulun. He was a player that couldn’t be overlooked on the ice as he routinely creates chances due to his ability to carry the puck into dangerous areas while maintaining status as a shooting threat. Statistically, he had an extremely impressive season, but not to the quality of Kakko. Although at the World Junior Championships Puljujarvi really made his mark. In a nothing less than dominant performance he scored 17 points in 7 games to win himself tournament MVP as a 17-year-old. He had a performance we will likely never see again from a draft-eligible player at that tournament. Kakko also had a great World Juniors, but he didn’t dominate. He was under a point per game but played a large role in Finland’s victory even scoring the Golden Goal. As he returns to international play at the U18s later this year we should expect a big showing from Kakko.
HOW ARE KAKKO AND PULJUJARVI DIFFERENT?
The question now is what sets the two apart? If Kakko plays so similarly to Puljuarvi then how do we know he will have the success that Puljujarvi hasn’t so far in his career. And this isn’t to say Puljujarvi is a bust or that he isn’t good, but it’s clear at this point in his career he isn’t where we thought he’d be. It’s likely he still has top 6 or even 1st line potential, but so far we haven’t seen it. Kakko is projected as a high caliber 1st line player that will easily step into a top 6 role, so what’s going to allow him to do that that Puljujarvi couldn’t do? In the end, it seems like it’s going to come to hockey IQ and smarts on the ice. Puljujarvi was a very aware player of what’s going on on the ice in Finland and at the international level. Although when he made the NHL jump he couldn’t process the game at NHL speed. At some points, he’s caught drifting. In the offensive zone he can retrieve the puck and is dangerous with the puck, but often he struggles to get in position and set others up. He still sees the ice quite well, but the decision making isn’t there.
Kakko, on the other hand, processes the game at the fastest and best levels in the draft. Kakko is the quickest thinking, and best decision maker out of the European class. Puljujarvi can get to the dangerous areas, but Kakko can open lanes, make passes, or rip a shot if there aren’t other options. Kakko utilizes his talent as well as anybody other than Hughes.
IS KAKKO READY TO GO?
Kakko is NHL ready in all categories. While Hughes might be the best prospect with the highest potential, Kakko is the most NHL ready prospect for this draft. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kakko taking the Calder Trophy at the end of the 2019-20 season. He can be described as a Swiss-Army Knife, he can and will do it all. In any role, in any situation, Kakko will thrive. Even as my second ranked prospect he is no consolation to Jack Hughes. Kakko is part of the new wave of Finnish talent that has started coming through the draft.
This year we will see Kakko, Heinola, and Honka. Soon we will witness other Finnish talents like Anton Lundell enter the draft in 2020. Other prospects like Aatu Raty and Samu Tuomaala in 2021 look to be top 5 prospects at just 16. Even a prospect that is flourishing in the Finnish U20 league at just 14 and 15 in Brad Lambert who could be a top 3 guy for the 2022 draft.
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