A deceptive presence who’s really slippery for a player of his build, Kakko doesn’t have any major flaws to his game. His speed is an underrated feature, considering it’s his hands and overall goal-scoring abilities that most scouts rave about. A very noticeable player every time he hits the ice, he skates very well and shows flashes of up-tempo speed. His top speed has improved a lot and his mobility is great for guy his size. He does a good job of shifting his body to change attack angles and although he sometimes shows some naive tendencies to overhandle the puck, he has the ability to put an accurate touch on his passes. Displaying spectacular puck skills, he’s strong in the corners and has shown that he’s a beast physically. His ability to do lots of small things right with the puck is a tremendous asset. He can take hits and keep his balance, which is why he wins a lot of puck battles. He likes to use his size to his advantage and he’s tremendous when protecting the puck. He needs to improve his overall consistency to be a difference maker shift to shift and fill out a bit to play a heavier game. Having put in a lot of work in on his game over the past year, he’s more than ready to take his game to the next level.

– FCHockey’s 2019 NHL Draft Guide