He has excelled in his role, especially when the Wild lost Talbot to injury in the Winter Classic. Simply put, Kahkonen has been much better this season despite not playing a ton early. Kahkonen has faced a league-high 3.19 rush attempts per 60 among goalies who have played at least 10 games. That has led to the team giving up a significant number of rush attempts. The surprising element of this potential development is that Minnesota’s defense has slightly been worse this season due to all the injuries the team has sustained during the season so far. Kahkonen’s numbers have vastly improved, and his age likely is the reason why there has to be more patient with him as he continues to develop and get NHL games under his belt.
Obviously, this is a small sample size, but that’s an elite rate for a goaltender. His last seven starts have been incredible, saving 5.2 goals above expected. The young goaltender has also saved 2.1 goals above expected. The numbers agree with this progression, too. Likewise, Kahkonen has been much better with his overall movement and position. His rebound control and puck tracking - especially glove side where he has struggled in the past -have been much more efficient. However, Kahkonen’s game has visibly been different this season. 902 save percentage and allowed over 15 goals above expected, the fourth-worst rate in the league. Kahkonen’s Calder love was questionable, though, given he finished with a. He naturally got recognition in his rookie season because he finished with 16 wins. This may be just another strong stretch of hockey for Kahkonen, 25, considering he displayed flashes of brilliance last season. That’s why there needs to be a discussion about Minnesota’s goaltending situation because there’s a real argument that the tandem should split games moving forward. 909 save percentage doesn’t stand out positively, either. Talbot has allowed 7.51 goals above expected based on shot quality, 5th worst in the league among goaltenders who have played a minimum of 15 games. It’s skeptical that he beat out the Winnipeg Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck, who has been one of the league’s best goalies this season, too. It was fueled by his 15 wins this season rather than his actual play. While Talbot was selected as one of the Central’s two All-Star goalies, joining Kirill Kaprizov in the 2022 NHL All-Star Game, he simply wasn’t deserving of it. It’s well-documented, but it appears Kahkonen has finally found his game this season with Talbot struggling. Further, scouts question whether he has the potential to be a starter in the NHL.
It’s also why newly-named GM Bill Guerin attempted to acquire Tristan Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins. That’s why the Wild chose to expose him to the Seattle Kraken despite the lack of organizational depth at goalie. However, it’s also the byproduct of Kaapo Kahkonen‘s inconsistency ever since he made the leap to the NHL. Part of it is the team trusts Talbot’s track record as a starting goalie. Since Cam Talbot‘s arrival two years ago, the Minnesota Wild have largely depended on him in the net.
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