The Seattle Kraken now have a representative in February’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. Kaapo Kakko, the 23-year-old forward acquired from the Rangers for Will Borgen, was already on Team Finland’s roster.
Countryman and now-Seattle teammate Eeli Tolvanen says, “He’s a great player. He’s a big body. He has really good hands. He uses his body well. He can score goals. I think he’s going to be a big piece for us.” Tolvanen and Kakko played together on Finland’s 2019 World Juniors team which captured the gold medal.
For some Kraken fans, Finland’s prospects in the 4 Nations Face-Off aren’t their primary concern when it comes to Kakko. So, here’s a chorus of opinions about how the former #2 overall choice by the Blueshirts in the 2019 NHL Draft will impact Seattle.
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Jason Bukala, Sportsnet: “If Kakko is going to increase his output and overall impact in Seattle, he’s going to need to improve his compete level in all three zones.
“The 6-foot-1, 215-pound forward knows how to finish around the crease. He has a quick release and the strength to box out opponents, create screens and pounce on rebounds. The issue for me is he doesn’t push back hard enough on a consistent basis.
“Kakko doesn’t kill penalties and he lands in the bottom 50th percentile in all skill categories (according to NHL Edge), including speed and high-danger shot generation. He isn’t a bust yet, but he certainly hasn’t lived up to expectations.”
E.J. Hradek, NHL Network: “The stigma (of being the 2nd overall pick) is gone now. I think this is a great opportunity for him. I don’t think he really ever had that with the Rangers. It’s hard to produce offensive numbers when you’re never on the power play. Why are you scratching Kakko? He’s been one of their more consistent players.”
Jason Demers, NHL Network: “You could argue that that Rangers’ third line with Cuylle, Chytil and Kakko was the best line for the Rangers all season. (He’s now) in a smaller market, not hearing all the noise. I can just play my game.”
Shayna Goldman, The Athletic: “The Kraken aren’t teeming with stars who can kick his game up a notch. Still, these types of bets have worked out for them before – look at how Eeli Tolvanen’s career turned around after Seattle claimed him on waivers.
“This one is a less low risk, since they had to give up players and picks to add Kakko, but maybe it’ll have an even higher reward.”
Harman Dayal, The Athletic: “The Kraken pounced quickly and have made a shrewd gamble here. I’m not convinced he has a dynamic enough offensive skill set to be a top-six driver. But he’s got the tools and experience to thrive as a complementary middle-six winger who can provide legitimate two-way value, a high floor as a young, serviceable, top-nine winger.”
Justin Giampietro, The Hockey Writers: “A high-upside play for Seattle. He still shows flashes of a talented offensive player, exemplified by some of his 5-on-5 scoring rates this season.
“Among skaters with at least 200 minutes of ice time, he is 19th in primary assists scored per 60 minutes (1.17). Even if that stat is cherry-picked slightly, production is production.
“It’s not as though the Rangers never tried Kakko on their top line, but he could get more consistent chances to impress. The benefit here for the Kraken is that they gave up assets of little value in exchange for a need: scoring.”
Frank Seravelli, Daily Faceoff: “(The Kraken) take a flyer, and I get why it makes sense for them to do it. They’re a team looking to add more juice, more offense, more skill, more potential star power that’s easy to sell to your fan base. I just think we know enough now about Kaapo Kakko to know that he’s not an impact player.”
Tom Castro, Forever Blueshirts: “It’s the Kraken who got the player with legitimate upside in the trade. Kakko likely won’t ever develop into a dynamic scorer, but he does a lot of things well and a badly-needed change of scenery might allow him to find a level he never did in a Blueshirt.”
Jim Cerny, Forever Blueshirts: “They’re trading for what could be, not what Kakko is or has been. Really, Kakko was a devalued asset, but in selling low the Rangers were able to land a right-shot, physical defenseman in Borgan [sic].”
Mollie Walker, NY Post: “Kakko turned into an effective third-liner who could be a possession machine. He was one of the Rangers’ most consistent forwards this season. Most importantly, however, Rangers general manager Chris Drury ensured that another disgruntled player didn’t sit in the locker room for too long. Borgen has been a target of the Rangers for some time.”
Adam Herman, Bleacher Report: “He is still just 23. There are players just breaking through at that age.
“Even if the Finnish winger has plateaued in his development, he is a 45-point winger with a strong defensive presence and could be a capable NHLer for the next decade. That’s a valuable player in the NHL landscape.”
“He has great defensive habits to take away lanes and win pucks. He is extremely strong around the walls, holding pucks forever and extending offensive-zone cycles. With the combination of size, instincts, and work ethic, Kakko is phenomenal at making plays all over the ice to tilt play in his team’s favor.”