Finnish for Filthy: Why Kaapo Kakko Could Be the Hobby’s Dominant 2019 NHL Draft Pick

It was as greasy a play as you’re likely to see. Eighteen-year-old Finnish phenom Kaapo Kakko, with his team trailing Austria 1-0 at the 2019 World Championships, picked up the puck behind center ice, danced around a poke check, eluded a sliding defender, skated past a hopelessly beaten goaltender and, from behind the net, tucked in the equalizer on the short side. “Kakko,” marveled ESPN’s John Buccigross, “is Finnish for filthy.” This wasn’t just a highlight. It was an-other jaw-dropper in a growing series of them from a player who is made a late push to become the first pick…