A massive physical specimen down the middle of the ice, Hakala has a unique combination of size and passing ability that allow him to be effective in multiple ways. Although his skating is underwhelming he can take the puck to the dirty areas by using his body to box out opponents while keeping his head up to examine his options. Other than his size and playmaking tendencies there’s a lot to be desired of a player with his physical gifts. Hakala doesn’t have the best shot, struggles to get power behind it and may struggle to challenge goalies at higher levels, but does have a nice release and accuracy when he is able to get it off. With his skating being a cause of concern, he may struggle to maintain and keep up with the faster paces of play, his size can only make up for so much of his skating deficiencies. Teams may look at his physical traits alone and think he could be worth taking later in the draft because they’ll want to see if they can tap into his game and unlock something. It’s not everyday you see a player of his size, and if he can develop his offensive abilities over the next few seasons he has an outside shot at the NHL.

– FCHockey’s 2021 NHL Draft Guide