Niklas Kokko has a number of traits that are really intriguing but he’s still very much a work in progress so you have to take an optimistic approach with him. He has the size that most would agree is great for the position. He moves through the crease well and in particular he’s extremely fluid when down in a butterfly. He can push with power in either direction and he works hard to track pucks and maintain visual attachment through a series of screens and obstructions. He effectively uses his stick to jam up wrap around plays or net-front scrambles and he’s extremely focused and battles to find loose pucks. When addressing an attack in tight quarters, he looks really good. As the puck-carrier cuts to one side or the other he can stay with them and use his long legs to take away almost everything on the lower half. It’s a bit of a different story when he faces mid-range shots. He seems to have a lot of holes through his torso and would benefit from maintaining a more compact stance. The five-hole can sometimes be a problem and shots near his torso are almost as big a concern. He also plays with a wide stance which does allows for lateral movement but really limits his ability to adjust his depth, not to mention that in combination with a tendency to crouch over, a fair amount of his height is nullified. The positive side is that these issues are all very much fixable and shouldn’t act as a deterrent when it comes to projecting his future potential. It would seem that at the moment his path to becoming an everyday NHLer is a long one, but given his highly competitive streak, NHL-ready frame and a sound base of mobility, developmental improvements could come in leaps and bounds.

– FCHockey’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide