Future Watch: Kaapo Kahkonen Hockey Cards, Minnesota Wild

by | Jul 16, 2020 | Future Watch, Future Watch - Hockey, Hockey, Sports, Upper Deck

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Future Watch: Kaapo Kahkonen Hockey Cards, Minnesota Wild – Kaapo Kahkonen was drafted by the Minnesota Wild  109th overall in the 2014 NHL Draft. He could be one of the best goalie prospects that nobody knows.

Kahkonen first came to prominence in Finland, where he played in 91 games in the Espoo Blues system from U16 to U20. In U16, he was voted best goaltender. He won Rookie of the Month honors multiple times en route to the Rookie of the Year Award in 2015. He also helped Espoo win a Mestis league championship along the way.

Internationally, Kahkonen has represented Finland in multiple tournaments. Most notably, in 2015-16, he appeared in four games and posted a .909 save percentage in the World Junior Hockey Championship, where Finland beat Russia in the finals 4-3. That final game, which took place in Helsinki, Finland, saw Kahkonen outduel current Rangers goaltender Alexander Georgiev. Patrik Laine (Winnipeg Jets) and Sebastian Aho (Carolina Hurricanes) were among his teammates.

After that experience, Kahkonen played in Liiga for Lukko, where he put up a .918 save percentage and 2.43 goals against average in 117 games.

For the 2018-19 season, Kahkonen came to North America and played for the Iowa Wild. In 29 games, the Finn posted a .908 save percentage and 2.78 goals against average in 39 games.

2019-20 was his breakout year. At 23, that’s not surprising since goalies tend to mature later than most other positions in hockey. He started the year in Iowa but was called up when the Wild had injuries and other issues occurring. While in the AHL, Kahkonen held a 2.07 goals against average and a .927 save percentage. In five games for the Minnesota Wild, he had 2.96 goals against average, a .913 save percentage and a 3-1-1 record.

Collectors can find his Young Guns Rookie Card in 2019-20 Upper Deck Series 2 Hockey, and can hunt down his 2018-19 and 2019-20 Upper Deck AHL cards to name a few.

Here’s a look at his NHL debut:

This prospect will be part of the Wild’s playoff roster and was recently named the  2019-20 AHL Goaltender of the Year.

Collect Kaapo Kahkonen before it’s too late!

Future Watch: Kaapo Kahkonen Rookie Hockey Cards, Minnesota Wild – Stats

Future Watch: Kaapo Kahkonen Rookie Hockey Cards, Minnesota Wild – More Resources

Future Watch: Kaapo Kahkonen Rookie Hockey Cards, Minnesota Wild – Image Gallery

For more from Russ Cohen, follow him on Twitter @sportsology.

Russ Cohen is the author of several top-selling sports related books.

Baseball’s Best Rookies
Numbers Don’t Lie: Mets: The Biggest Numbers in Mets History
100 Ranger Greats: Superstars, Unsung Heroes and Colorful Characters
100 Things Rangers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die
“Strike Three!” – A Player’s Journey through the Infamous Baseball Strike of 1994
The Winter Classic: The NHL’s Savior
The Philadelphia Flyers: Images of Sports
Pioneers of Baseball

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