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Prospect Info: The Second Overall Pick Thread: Part I (Kakko/Hughes Talk)

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shinchanuuhh said:
One of our top 3 prospects right now. Tough to part with (Conversation now feels incredibly creepy). Also I never saw her. I assume people saw her and were all like "OMG so hot!" during one game or something?
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Not going to say anything more than "Google image search her." She's a model, so she's all over Google.
 
As someone who doesn't follow or understand the whole scouting process, I am curious what exactly separates Hughes from Kakko?
 
RaXp said:
As someone who doesn't follow or understand the whole scouting process, I am curious what exactly separates Hughes from Kakko?
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the main thing would be skating speed and the idea that he has more room to grow physically than Kaapo, meaning his upside is arguably higher
 
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jas said:
I think Buch can also move to LW.
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Buch or Kravtsov might be the answer long term.

But Buch just found his game and Kravy will be a rookie and I'd rather not mess with either of their games next season.

So my guess is (until/if Kreider is moved and spreading the rookies around) we have with Kakko at LW and Chytil at RW:

Kakko-Zibanejad-Buch
Kreider-Howden-Chytil
Lemieux-Andersson-Kravstov
Strome/Names/Fast/Vesey

Or with Kakko at LW and Chytil at C:

Kakko-Zibanejad-Buch
Kreider-Chytil-Strome/Names/Fast/Vesey
Lemieux-Andersson/Howden-Kravstov
Strome/Names/Fast/Vesey

Unless they decide to give Andersson a shot on the wing...
 
KooKooForKakko said:
the main thing would be skating speed and the idea that he has more room to grow physically than Kaapo, meaning his upside is arguably higher
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Always thought the more room to grow physically argument is sorta dumb, it assumes because a player is smaller it means he’s going to grow and a bigger player can’t. Kappo could become 6’4” & 220lbs for all we know. Also Quinn is 2 years older than Jack and is the same height & weight as him.

Edit: and the argument generally holds more true in the case of a big player dominating against kids based on size/strength alone which obviously isn’t the case with Kappo as he’s done it against grown men
 
jas said:
I want two this year and one more next year. Then I’m ready to look at free agents.
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Can we figure out if our top-10 picks are Leetch or Brendl before we start throwing money at UFAs?
 
McRanger said:
Buch or Kravtsov might be the answer long term.

But Buch just found his game and Kravy will be a rookie and I'd rather not mess with either of their games next season.

So my guess is (until/if Kreider is moved and spreading the rookies around) we have with Kakko at LW and Chytil at RW:

Kakko-Zibanejad-Buch
Kreider-Howden-Chytil
Lemieux-Andersson-Kravstov
Strome/Names/Fast/Vesey

Or with Kakko at LW and Chytil at C:

Kakko-Zibanejad-Buch
Kreider-Chytil-Strome/Names/Fast/Vesey
Lemieux-Andersson/Howden-Kravstov
Strome/Names/Fast/Vesey

Unless they decide to give Andersson a shot on the wing...
Click to expand...
Chytil played more LW in everything from the Czech league to international play. I think his game is the most suited for LW out of him/Kakko/Kravtsov/Buch
 
looking at KK and his game, his body, and his skating, i continue to believe this kid can play center.

question is, will he play there ?

no doubt he can play that position. will he be as effective ? early on, i would say more responsibility in the middle so that will be tougher with the assignments.

i could well see him take a similar path as chytl. edge to develop the pro game and then transition to the middle.

KK on the edge will be a matchup nightmare. kid is big, fast, smart and has the ability to play keep away. it takes him no time to make a move from the wall to the front of the net.

to me, hes more scorer/finisher. i like him on the wall.

the idea that newhook could be centering kakko, wow. drool worthy right there.

this is gonna be fun.
 
Off Sides said:
One quibble, I think the stockpiling would be over, the rebuilding is going to go on as these guys develop, through and past their entry level contracts.
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The stockpiling is the single most important stage of rebuilding, by far. Yet, people can't wait to escape it. Keep stockpiling until the kids are so good, there's no way to get more lottery picks because the kids keep winning games.

The idea shouldn't be to put some artificial deadline on youth acquisition because we want to make the playoffs soon, by hook or by crook.
 
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RaXp said:
As someone who doesn't follow or understand the whole scouting process, I am curious what exactly separates Hughes from Kakko?
Click to expand...

I think Hughes has better vision, playmaking ability and maybe a slightly higher IQ.

For me, Hughes impact on an entire lineup is felt a bit more. Everything falls in line around him --- the wings, the other centers, how the defense plays, etc. So the impact just reverberates a bit deeper.

But I've always felt there's an aspect that is often overlooked when talking about Hughes vs. Kakko: Time.

Everyone agrees that Kakko is the more mature player --- physically, level of competition, etc.

But if Hughes is (generally) seen as still being the better player, even just slightly, what does that say for the future as Hughes matures physically?

IMO, a 6'2, 190 pound Kakko vs. 5'10, 165 is Hughes is a bigger gap in 2019 than a 6'3, 205 pound Kakko vs. a 5'11, 190 pound Hughes in 2023.
 
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offdacrossbar said:
looking at KK and his game, his body, and his skating, i continue to believe this kid can play center.

question is, will he play there ?

no doubt he can play that position. will he be as effective ? early on, i would say more responsibility in the middle so that will be tougher with the assignments.

i could well see him take a similar path as chytl. edge to develop the pro game and then transition to the middle.

KK on the edge will be a matchup nightmare. kid is big, fast, smart and has the ability to play keep away. it takes him no time to make a move from the wall to the front of the net.

to me, hes more scorer/finisher. i like him on the wall.

the idea that newhook could be centering kakko, wow. drool worthy right there.

this is gonna be fun.
Click to expand...

Generally speaking, scouts have thus far sounded pretty adamant that Kakko is a wing, and I think that was echoed by his team in Finland as well.

Obviously, it only takes one team with a vision. But I'd be somewhat surprised if Kakko is looked at as a center.
 
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offdacrossbar said:
looking at KK and his game, his body, and his skating, i continue to believe this kid can play center.

question is, will he play there ?

no doubt he can play that position. will he be as effective ? early on, i would say more responsibility in the middle so that will be tougher with the assignments.

i could well see him take a similar path as chytl. edge to develop the pro game and then transition to the middle.

KK on the edge will be a matchup nightmare. kid is big, fast, smart and has the ability to play keep away. it takes him no time to make a move from the wall to the front of the net.

to me, hes more scorer/finisher. i like him on the wall.

the idea that newhook could be centering kakko, wow. drool worthy right there.

this is gonna be fun.
Click to expand...

He is a wing.

Can we stop forcing guys who are not centers into the center position?
 
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Potentially adding a Kakko/Hughes + Vitali + at least 2 of our European D?

Also keep in mind Tony D was making crazy passes to a mostly untalented- save for a few - team.

The new dimension of this team is beginning to take a form.

Exciting times we live in.
 
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Nothing about Kaako makes me think he should be a center, even if he could technically be productive there. He isn't a high vision playmaker type guy, he isn't someone you necessarily want worrying about being in position vs making offense happen, and he isn't someone who you need to have in the middle of the ice to get good scoring chances from.

Just because he plays a two way game doesnt mean center is the best place for him. It would be like putting Rick Nash at center.

Let him be an offensive force who can bully/finesse himself in from the wing.
 
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offdacrossbar said:
agreed.

i think hes better on the edge.

hes played center and i wonder if thats something they might try ?
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I hope not. He's clearly a wing at the next level. There's no reason to try and force the position on him. I'd rather him learn the NHL on the wing than at center since we already have our top line guy in Zibs right now.
 
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McRanger said:
Buch or Kravtsov might be the answer long term.

But Buch just found his game and Kravy will be a rookie and I'd rather not mess with either of their games next season.

So my guess is (until/if Kreider is moved and spreading the rookies around) we have with Kakko at LW and Chytil at RW:

Kakko-Zibanejad-Buch
Kreider-Howden-Chytil
Lemieux-Andersson-Kravstov
Strome/Names/Fast/Vesey

Or with Kakko at LW and Chytil at C:

Kakko-Zibanejad-Buch
Kreider-Chytil-Strome/Names/Fast/Vesey
Lemieux-Andersson/Howden-Kravstov
Strome/Names/Fast/Vesey

Unless they decide to give Andersson a shot on the wing...
Click to expand...
Suddenly our wings don't look so bad. At one point there were a lot of holes. We just need to keep them coming in the pipeline. I know there is a lot of youth on the wing in that lineup but there is some potential now. Buch, Kreider, Kakko, Chytil, Kravtsov and possibly even Lemiuex can be legit top 6 guys in a couple of years.
Zibby, Howden, Lias, Strome/Names don't the middle isn't as sexy but for now is fine and maybe we grab a top center in next years draft or slight chance in mid to late first this year.
 
Hunter Gathers said:
He is a wing.

Can we stop forcing guys who are not centers into the center position?
Click to expand...
I agree I want this kid to play the position he will flourish most at. Mitch Marner didn't need to become a center to become the best player on his team which has some tremendous forwards.
 
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Ah hell, this is why we should go out and get one of those young centers we were eyeing before April 8, at 9 p.m.

Why settle for only steak fajitas when we can also have chicken?

Add some rice and beans in the second round, wash it down with a margarita in the third and fourth.

Boom, the Rangers are a full-on night on the town!
 
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