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Speculation: Roster Building Thread: Part XXII

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Can’t see them passing on Hughes

Which would be a mistake honestly

Kakko is good but Hughes is the better choice.
 
I have to imagine there's a lot of pressure on Gorton and Co. during this draft. A lot of possibility. If they end up in the 3-6 draft range, they have to pick the best center available. And then figure out if that group of center prospects is good enough to compete down the road. It'll be interesting to watch to see if any of these kids develop into top tier players in their positions.
 
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Oscar Lindberg said:
Can’t see them passing on Hughes

Which would be a mistake honestly

Kakko is good but Hughes is the better choice.
Click to expand...

I’d be thrilled with Kakko.

I’d be ecstatic with Hughes.

I don’t think they’re exceptiobally close, so much as Kakko is more advanced physically and has more of a pro body.

Hughes talent and impact on those around him is in the uppier tier of first overall picks I’ve seen over the past 25 years.
 
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Edge rolling 90s style right now....

upload_2019-1-16_10-37-30.jpeg
 
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Edge said:
I’d be thrilled with Kakko.

I’d be ecstatic with Hughes.

I don’t think they’re exceptiobally close, so much as Kakko is more advanced physically and has more of a pro body.

Hughes talent and impact on those around him is in the uppier tier of first overall picks I’ve seen over the past 25 years.
Click to expand...
Pretty much what I think as well

The whole talk about who will be #1 is just to generate hype. It’s going to be Hughes. As it should be
 
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Salvage21 said:
I have to imagine there's a lot of pressure on Gorton and Co. during this draft. A lot of possibility. If they end up in the 3-6 draft range, they have to pick the best center available. And then figure out if that group of center prospects is good enough to compete down the road. It'll be interesting to watch to see if any of these kids develop into top tier players in their positions.
Click to expand...

2018-2020 will carry with them a lot of expectations and the weight of their legacy here.
 
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Edge said:
You know, that could be an interesting new approach.

We can regret the drafts that haven’t taken place yet, or trades that may or may not happen someday.
Click to expand...

It's good fun. I was lamenting the eventual return we got for Nash a month before we even traded for him originally.....
 
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Edge said:
I’d be thrilled with Kakko.

I’d be ecstatic with Hughes.

I don’t think they’re exceptiobally close, so much as Kakko is more advanced physically and has more of a pro body.

Hughes talent and impact on those around him is in the uppier tier of first overall picks I’ve seen over the past 25 years.
Click to expand...

I appreciate your insight along with a handful of others here, as we all do.

That said. If Hughes winds up being too small for a center. And devolpes better as a winger. Isn't Kakko the better choice as a pure winger?

How many elite playmaking wingers ever made enough of a difference? Whereas Kakko seems more suited for the position. The front office IMO has to make that prediction if we are lucky enough to step up at #1 on draft day.

Let just say Patty Kane is a comparable. He alone isn't enough to get us where we want to be to suffer a few years of terrible hockey. And I am very much pro-multi year rebuild.

Also, say were are terrible and draft high again in 2020. Are we better off with Kakko over Hughes as our franchise winger and take another stab at a stud center? I don't see a stud center in our system to date.

I'm happy either way if we are afforded the choice. But I'm leaning towards Kakko over Hughes more lately if im looking at this pragmatically and the variables suggest Hughes wont be a NHL center.
 
My 2018 1st round was Dobson, Kravtsov & Bokk. Obviously was never going to happen. Gordie et al were right. Let’s give the same benefit of the doubt this year as well.
 
x BEUKEBOOM x said:
I appreciate your insight along with a handful of others here, as we all do.

That said. If Hughes winds up being too small for a center. And devolpes better as a winger. Isn't Kakko the better choice as a pure winger?

How many elite playmaking wingers ever made enough of a difference? Whereas Kakko seems more suited for the position. The front office IMO has to make that prediction if we are lucky enough to step up at #1 on draft day.

Let just say Patty Kane is a comparable. He alone isn't enough to get us where we want to be to suffer a few years of terrible hockey. And I am very much pro-multi year rebuild.

Also, say were are terrible and draft high again in 2020. Are we better off with Kakko over Hughes as our franchise winger and take another stab at a stud center? I don't see a stud center in our system to date.

I'm happy either way if we are afforded the choice. But I'm leaning towards Kakko over Hughes more lately if im looking at this pragmatically and the variables suggest Hughes wont be a NHL center.
Click to expand...

Push comes to shove, I think Hughes is a special player — even if he didn’t play center.

I think Hughes, even as a winger, would impact the entire team. Not as much as if he played center, but the potential impact is substantial.

In that case, I’d still like to look at centers. However, a wing corps with Hughes, Kravtsov, and others would be significant.

If anything, I think the quest to improve the defense will be a more daunting process.

So, long story short, I’d still take Hughes as a wing over Kakko. And for me, having seen them both, and judging that against similar players at the same age, it’s not as close for me as some might think.
 
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x BEUKEBOOM x said:
I appreciate your insight along with a handful of others here, as we all do.

That said. If Hughes winds up being too small for a center. And devolpes better as a winger. Isn't Kakko the better choice as a pure winger?

How many elite playmaking wingers ever made enough of a difference? Whereas Kakko seems more suited for the position. The front office IMO has to make that prediction if we are lucky enough to step up at #1 on draft day.

Let just say Patty Kane is a comparable. He alone isn't enough to get us where we want to be to suffer a few years of terrible hockey. And I am very much pro-multi year rebuild.

Also, say were are terrible and draft high again in 2020. Are we better off with Kakko over Hughes as our franchise winger and take another stab at a stud center? I don't see a stud center in our system to date.

I'm happy either way if we are afforded the choice. But I'm leaning towards Kakko over Hughes more lately if im looking at this pragmatically and the variables suggest Hughes wont be a NHL center.
Click to expand...

Correct me if I’m wrong, but, Barzal isn’t a big, physical center. I don’t believe he’s much bigger than Hughes. Just staple Kreider to his wing and watch the magic.
 
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E-Train said:
My 2018 1st round was Dobson, Kravtsov & Bokk. Obviously was never going to happen. Gordie et al were right. Let’s give the same benefit of the doubt this year as well.
Click to expand...

I feel like if we’re going to count the misses, then we have to acknowledge the hits too.
 
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E-Train said:
My 2018 1st round was Dobson, Kravtsov & Bokk. Obviously was never going to happen. Gordie et al were right. Let’s give the same benefit of the doubt this year as well.
Click to expand...

I wanted Kravtsov, and even thought he could potentially be the ‘off-the-board” pick at 9. I wanted Bokk, too. And, the day before the draft, I was immersed in NHL Network Radio on Sirius/XM, and two of the Dmen that drew raves were Miller and Lundkvist. Round one more than met my expectations.
 
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