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

[Blade Paradigm]

Love this narrative that people are judging Kakko by just this one tournament when that's not true. Consider for example playoffs, where HPK's coach's only focused player was Kakko, and Kakko still lead his team in scoring and advanced stats, with 62.6% corsi while his team's was 50.1% for example.

What this tournament has instead done is it's caused people to consider that perhaps they underestimated Kakko's performance in Liiga, for example. It's not like he's shown anything new, though him being able to pull off the things he does even vs NHL players certainly is worth something.

You putting it like that makes it sound like he had a mediocre season and this is the first time he's shown play like this, which isn't the case.

This has been the excuse all season by people who haven't paid attention: "small sample size."

In fact, the sample size after this entire season is very large.

 

[RageQuit77]

Very relevant.

Indeed. I think many developing hockey country could instill many good things out of Finnish experience for their own use. That doesn't mean it was easy process, but essentially whole Finnish hockey system was rebooted in how juniors are handled. That was initiated, coordinated and led by Finnish Hockey Federation, but was achieved by wide-spread discussions over whole field, where actual junior coaches had their say and important active role too. It wasn't just an another directive from the top.

10 years was enough to see some results.

Kaapo has possibility of use experiences of top prospects who came out from that top prospect production pipeline before him. After him there will come others. The system has have achieved kind of self-sufficiency these days.

 

[Kiekura]

It is really huge difference how they coach kids today. Before you had practise shooting, skating, stickhandling etc on your own time. Ofc there was some in team practise, but it was much more focused how to play as team.

 

[fr9dd9]

It is really huge difference how they coach kids today. Before you had practise shooting, skating, stickhandling etc on your own time. Ofc there was some in team practise, but it was much more focused how to play as team.

Yeah, and I think one of the biggest differances is the shoting and sticks ofc. When I was young it was more like the harder the stick the cooler. I dont even remember ever those flexy sticks out on the market for young players, I could shoot slapshots with flex movement by the time I was strong enough to get like a flex 80 stick to flex haha. And it was totaly normal.

 

[Husqvarna]

This has been the excuse all season by people who haven't paid attention: "small sample size."

In fact, the sample size after this entire season is very large.

That's why young Kaapo Kakko were even chosen in the first run to the Finland squad ; remember?!

 

[FinPanda]

It hasn't even been a week and we are almost at part 6. Kakko hype train going strong.

 

[Husqvarna]

Watch out, watch out ... even the female(!?) commentator on Swedish SVT telly told him to be ... rather soft.

 

[Husqvarna]

Watch out, watch out ... even the female(!?) commentator on Swedish SVT telly told him to be ... rather soft.

... J. Hughes that is!

 

[LGB]

Love this narrative that people are judging Kakko by just this one tournament when that's not true. Consider for example playoffs, where HPK's coach's only focused player was Kakko, and Kakko still lead his team in scoring and advanced stats, with 62.6% corsi while his team's was 50.1% for example.

What this tournament has instead done is it's caused people to consider that perhaps they underestimated Kakko's performance in Liiga, for example. It's not like he's shown anything new, though him being able to pull off the things he does even vs NHL players certainly is worth something.

You putting it like that makes it sound like he had a mediocre season and this is the first time he's shown play like this, which isn't the case.

Where do you find advanced stats for Liiga?

 

[Henkka]

Where do you find advanced stats for Liiga?

Pelaajatilastot | Edistyneet | Playoffs 2018-2019 | Tilastot | Liiga

Playoff-edistyneet (means advanced)

Corsi%-C = Corsi% in close situations, when the game is tied or within 1.

 

[RageQuit77]

Pelaajatilastot | Edistyneet | Playoffs 2018-2019 | Tilastot | Liiga

Playoff-edistyneet (means advanced)

Corsi%-C = Corsi% in close situations, when the game is tied or within 1.

Off-topic comment. But I must applaud the outlook of Liiga's web pages. No gimmicks. No scrolling hell embedded to another scrolling hell. You can find everything relatively easily. Default color scheme dark! (love it) Practically everything better functional, better looking, and more "cool" than the site's counter-part. Unlike with NHL.com, its immediately clear that the site is built and administrated by professionals. Best part of it all is that administrators also likely listen feedback and are capable to make changes and develop the site further - its not like a carving in a stone that cannot be changed. For same reasons the site doesn't have bugs, and it runs smoothly.

Liiga bosses have realized that good looking and functional web page is an important part of the brand, the front door to the product during this internet-centric era. How many years we need wait that NHL.com will be developed by professionals, not by passive morons?

/OT

 

[Offseason Champs]

I'm really interested to see Kaapo playing on NA sized rinks. Has he done so yet in his career? Curious to see if he'll be more or less dominant on a smaller rink surface.

 

[FinPanda]

I'm really interested to see Kaapo playing on NA sized rinks. Has he done so yet in his career? Curious to see if he'll be more or less dominant on a smaller rink surface.

He just scored a gold medal goal on a small rink at the WJC's.

 

[ijuka]

Where do you find advanced stats for Liiga?

Liiga's own website.
Pelaajatilastot | Edistyneet | Playoffs 2018-2019 | Tilastot | Liiga
Playoff advanced stats by 5v5 corsi for TPS. Kakko had PDO 87.3% also.

 

[Ukkosenjumala]

Everything about Kakko's player profile suggests he will be even better on small ice. Alot of his strong attributes essentially buy more lateral space and it's exactly what the NHL lacks in comparison. 30 vs 26 meters is quite a difference.

 

[maksa]

Everything about Kakko's player profile suggests he will be even better on small ice. Alot of his strong attributes essentially buy more lateral space and it's exactly what the NHL lacks in comparison. 30 vs 26 meters is quite a difference.

Pretty sure most of the rinks in Liiga are 28 meters wide so it won't be that big of a difference.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Pretty sure most of the rinks in Liiga are 28 meters wide so it won't be that big of a difference.

Correct. Liiga rinks are hybrid.

 

[ijuka]

Correct. Liiga rinks are hybrid.

Depends on the rink.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Depends on the rink.

Just like the KHL and Czech league. Actually, a lot of EU leagues have different rink sizes. The rink in Hodonin where Kakko played back in November was also smaller

 

[Ukkosenjumala]

Pretty sure most of the rinks in Liiga are 28 meters wide so it won't be that big of a difference.

Yes, they're hybrid but I was talking about his showings in the WHC.

 

[Hockeyisl1fe]

The fact that people even argue how effective he'll be on a smaller ice surface is mindblowing to me. I've never seen a Finnish prospect more suited for that style of hockey.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

The fact that people even argue how effective he'll be on a smaller ice surface is mindblowing to me. I've never seen a Finnish prospect more suited for that style of hockey.

I love how it's always "Will this EU prospect adjust to the smaller ice surface" yet never "Will this NA prospect adjust to pro hockey"

 

[Albatros]

Especially as in Finland they have no standard rink size anyway, so players are used to variations.

 

[FinPanda]

Couple posts left so good time to drop this here:

https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/rw-kaapo-kakko-tps-liiga-2019-draft-part-6.2647627/