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

[broadwayblue]

Am I the only person here that is going to be nervous right up until Gordie makes the selection? I mean, Kakko (if available) is a lock at #2. He should be and deep down, I know Hughes or Kakko will be a Ranger on June 21. That isn't stopping me from envisioning this scenario where Gordie goes to the podium says "The New York Rangers are proud to select from SKA St. Petersburg, Vasily Podkolzin".

Do you blame me?

I don't blame you. I've seen Datsyuk comparisons for Podkolzin. But I would be surprised if they took him over a guy who is ready to step in now...and is considered to be a potential franchise player in his own right.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Am I the only person here that is going to be nervous right up until Gordie makes the selection? I mean, Kakko (if available) is a lock at #2. He should be and deep down, I know Hughes or Kakko will be a Ranger on June 21. That isn't stopping me from envisioning this scenario where Gordie goes to the podium says "The New York Rangers are proud to select from SKA St. Petersburg, Vasily Podkolzin".

Do you blame me?

I think 1&2 in any draft (and especially this one) is much different than 7 or 9 when teams are generally picking between a handful kids that are viewed on the same level.

I also think last year’s first round (last two really, but I don’t want to get into another Andersson arguement) should go a decent way to dissuading those fears

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Am I the only person here that is going to be nervous right up until Gordie makes the selection? I mean, Kakko (if available) is a lock at #2. He should be and deep down, I know Hughes or Kakko will be a Ranger on June 21. That isn't stopping me from envisioning this scenario where Gordie goes to the podium says "The New York Rangers are proud to select from SKA St. Petersburg, Vasily Podkolzin".

Do you blame me?

I might nervous if it was Sather and Gordie

I have nothing but trust in Grotans

 

[broadwayblue]

I had a laugh when I saw this...considering recent Kakko/Nash talk:

Projection and Comparison

Podkolzin is close to being NHL ready but as mentioned above, whatever team drafts him will need to have patience due to his KHL situation. He could be a first line winger in the NHL, using both skill and power to put up points. While this is by no means a talent comparison, his game and style is reminiscent of Rick Nash.

 

[Edge]

I hadn't thought of that. All 10 of McKenzie's scouts had Kakko #2.

It's widely assumed the Rangers are one of his teams.

If so, there are two things we can be fairly certain about:

1. The Rangers have Hughes at #1.

2. The Rangers have Kakko at #2.

Beyond that, with additional tidbits here and there, it is speculated that:

3. The Rangers probably have Podkolzin at 3, and might be the team that has Zegras at 4.

So for the Rangers, some of this pursuit for a second top 10 pick could be about coming away with two players they have in their top 4 for the entire draft.

 

[Shadowtron]

Am I the only person here that is going to be nervous right up until Gordie makes the selection? I mean, Kakko (if available) is a lock at #2. He should be and deep down, I know Hughes or Kakko will be a Ranger on June 21. That isn't stopping me from envisioning this scenario where Gordie goes to the podium says "The New York Rangers are proud to select from SKA St. Petersburg, Vasily Podkolzin".

Do you blame me?

Right there with ya. Gordie could convince the damn team to select me with the 2nd OA pick lol!!

 

[McRanger]

Right there with ya. Gordie could convince the damn team to select me with the 2nd OA pick lol!!

The Rangers select, from planet Earth... Shadowtron!

 

[Edge]

The Rangers select, from planet Earth... Shadowtron!

That just has the makings of a direct-to-video Transformers movie written all over it.

 

[skunk123454321]

That's my take.

I liked Rick Nash as a Ranger. I think the trade of Dubinski, Anisimov, Erixon, and a first was a smart trade on our part. The Rangers had lots of B level talent and needed another A level talent. Consolidation from an area of excess is a smart move. Nash was available and wanted to play here. He was still young-ish (he was able to give us 6 seasons, essentially, and were it not for head injuries and the breakdown of the team I think he could have lasted a good deal longer at reduced effectiveness). He was able to bring us quality, win-driving primary scoring when he was on, and he always played good defense, despite his all-too-often offensive slumps here.

But at the end of the day being a 30+ goal scorer who is not contributing to scores by also creating and getting assists, leaves something to be desired. Not that any player in that draft -- or even most drafts -- ends up any better than Rick Nash in their career. But when you are picking first overall -- or in our position, where you are picking second but with the premise that the second player is also a franchise-changing super stud -- you really want a guy to carry the team on his back for 10+ years. You want 40 assists to go with the 30 goals, even during "off" years. You want the peak to be more like 90-100 points, not 60-70. Nash only had two seasons where he was a point per game player.

We're sitting here talking about how Kakko is going to be the franchise-changing talent we've needed since Messier and Leetch, the talent that we lacked when we couldn't get over the hump from 2012-15. Well, that's not really Rick Nash. Rick Nash wasn't able to get us over that hump. I'm not blaming him, but we really needed, like, prime Marian Gaborik on this team as well -- a guy who had 5 seasons in a row at over a PPG. Even he topped out at 86 points in a season and by age 28 was not the same.

Maybe I'm being unrealistic, but the level of pre-draft hype and projection regarding Hughes and Kakko is way higher than normal. Experts don't seem to be saying that these guys are Ryan Nugent Hopkins and Gabe Landeskog. They don't seem to be saying that these guys are Nico Hischier and Nolan Patrick. I feel like we are hearing these guys are Matthews/Laine except maybe better. I don't want to say McDavid, but certainly Eichel.

I feel like my expectations are in the Stamkos/Tavares level. Nash wasn't that.

Maybe I'm being unrealistic, but based on the hype I'm hearing (I'm no scout, I'm just reading reports), that's where I'm getting the feeling these guys are projecting towards (talent level, not style comparison).

I feel like Nash was at the Tavares/Stamkos level when he was 20-25, he just fell off a cliff way sooner than most players do. (fell off a cliff into a solid middle six guy)

 

[chosen]

It's widely assumed the Rangers are one of his teams.

If so, there are two things we can be fairly certain about:

1. The Rangers have Hughes at #1.

2. The Rangers have Kakko at #2.

Beyond that, with additional tidbits here and there, it is speculated that:

3. The Rangers probably have Podkolzin at 3, and might be the team that has Zegras at 4.

So for the Rangers, some of this pursuit for a second top 10 pick could be about coming away with two players they have in their top 4 for the entire draft.

They might get confused and take Kent Hrbek.

 

[Gardner McKay]

I:
1. Think that's irrational and an unfounded worry.
2. Feel the same way and don't blame you.

I still remember vividly that feeling when Gordie said: "from the Moose Jaw Warriors..."

Yeah. I think I still have Post Traumatic McIlrath Disorder. Fans, pundits, everyone was sure that Fowler was the guy when we were at 10. Gordie himself spoke highly of Fowler. It was a slam dunk.

Like I said. The rational side of me knows we are taking Kakko. But 25 years of being a Rangers fan does make me a bit gun shy.

 

[McRanger]

That just has the makings of a direct-to-video Transformers movie written all over it.

Can Sathertron be the villain?

 

[Shadowtron]

The Rangers select, from planet Earth... Shadowtron!

Pierre Mcguire's incredulity would be EPIC!!

 

[Gardner McKay]

I might nervous if it was Sather and Gordie

I have nothing but trust in Grotans

This is a good point. Gorton has built up a ton of good will IMO. Maybe I should just have faith in him.

 

[Shadowtron]

That just has the makings of a direct-to-video Transformers movie written all over it.

Where's Michael Bay when you need him?!?

 

[Edge]

They might get confused and take Kent Hrbek.

I think back on the MLB players from my childhood, and I'm reminded that so many of them looked more like guys who should be leading a troop of Boy Scouts than professional athletes.

 

[Edge]

Can Sathertron be the villain?

There is a resemblance -

 

[McRanger]

There is a resemblance -

 

[mas0764]

I feel like Nash was at the Tavares/Stamkos level when he was 20-25, he just fell off a cliff way sooner than most players do. (fell off a cliff into a solid middle six guy)

Maybe he was, but his point totals don't truly reflect it. I think some of those years he was flirting with being on the lower end of the Stamkos/Tavares level.

I think in goal scoring he probably was that level, or at least close, but he never generated enough total points to really crack into that value tier. But maybe I'm speaking out of ignorance. But I would say Nash was kinda always a level down from that.

 

[Edge]

I was really hoping you'd go there. LMFAO.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

bruh it really looks like slats

 

[Ghost of jas]

Where's Michael Bay when you need him?!?

From the category of questions rarely asked in real life...

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Am I the only person here that is going to be nervous right up until Gordie makes the selection? I mean, Kakko (if available) is a lock at #2. He should be and deep down, I know Hughes or Kakko will be a Ranger on June 21. That isn't stopping me from envisioning this scenario where Gordie goes to the podium says "The New York Rangers are proud to select from SKA St. Petersburg, Vasily Podkolzin".

Do you blame me?

I'd be more worried if Elontra wasn't part of the scouting staff.

 

[True Blue]

I still remember vividly that feeling when Gordie said: "from the Moose Jaw Warriors..."

You just had to go there?

Just remind me of Jessiman again, while you are at it.

 

[chosen]

You just had to go there?

Just remind me of Jessiman again, while you are at it.

A lot of people complain about Jessiman and McIlrath, which is understandable, but the angriest I ever got at a Rangers 1st rounder was when I watched on TV and kept saying to myself, anyone but a goaltender and they selected Montoya. Their later selections turned out great, but after they selected Montoya, I yelled.

To make it worse, the analysts immediately said something like Montoya is an odd selection, here.