Prospect Info: The Second Overall Pick Thread: Part III (Kakko/Hughes Talk)
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broadwayblue
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Anyway, even if Kakko has a great tournament it's not like Hughes hasn't had a great year.
Craig Button✔@CraigJButton
Evaluations take place over time. Kaapo is a very good player. This reminds me of 2016 with Matthews & Laine. Hughes has clearly demonstrated to me, he is the best player available in the 2019 NHL Draft.
77
5:57 PM - May 11, 2019
Craig Button✔@CraigJButton
Evaluations take place over time. Kaapo is a very good player. This reminds me of 2016 with Matthews & Laine. Hughes has clearly demonstrated to me, he is the best player available in the 2019 NHL Draft.
77
5:57 PM - May 11, 2019
That's a stupid statement because Matthews was excellent at WHC with 9 points in 10 games(Laine did have 12 but scoring mostly vs bad teams). But it's Button so what do we expect?
If Hughes had 4 points now that'd make sense.
If Hughes had 4 points now that'd make sense.
pld459666
Registered User
I'm probably alone here, but I prefer Kaako over Hughes.
I think is size and style of play will allow him to be a more dominant player assuming both hit their absolute peaks.
No knock on Hughes, but I prefer the bigger guy.
I think is size and style of play will allow him to be a more dominant player assuming both hit their absolute peaks.
No knock on Hughes, but I prefer the bigger guy.
Hischier and Hughes
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also for a perspective Hughes played at the WJC whereas Kakko skipped to prep for WHC and practiced with the team in the meantime. Add on size and Kakko should have a great tournament while Jack may struggle.
Not to take away from Kakko just giving perspective. That behind the net deke in front for the backhand was a thing of beauty, I got up from the couch after it haha. Future Rangers or not great hockey is fun to watch
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It's twisted in translation. The ask was most likely about fit, talent warranting a 2nd overall pic....
Note that I know nothing.
leetch99
Leetch66 Joined 2007
Shero would be stupid not to try for a Ranger 2nd rounder especially if KK keeps it up in the tournament . He knows the Rangers want him....so why not try and pluck a pick from your arch enemy ? I think any good GM would try this .
Hischier and Hughes
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He even stopped in Germany for a an exhibition before Slovakia!
Id be dragging after that flight schedule WITHOUT PLAYING HOCKEY!
Hischier and Hughes
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Honestly? Jack has had aspirations of being 1st overall since he was a kid. That 2nd round pick isnt worth Jacks happiness. Hes said in multiple interviews hes worked very hard to be number 1 on draft day
Hischier and Hughes
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dude he blackmailed Chiarelli for Hall knowing its against CBA and federal laws
I don’t understand this. Where have the Rangers shown they want Kakko more than Hughes? And please don’t cite emojis on Twitter. I’d almost guarantee if the Rangers were picking first they take Hughes, so Shero’s plan would backfire (because Hughes is who they are going to take).
I feel like now that we’ve had time to let this marinate a little and the fact that the Rangers aren’t playing means some people’s minds are running a little wild about this situation.
Sorry I don’t buy it. If it were so important it would be played before training camp opens nkt at the end of seasons when everyone is taxed. And that way you’d see how important it was to players, if they’d end their summers early to partake.
I think @Steve Kournianos put it perfectly, there is no way this is an ‘easy’ pick either way. You shouldn’t be alone. You have to sit down with pen and paper and draw up the pros and cons and it’s not going to be obvious who comes out on top.
I am of course betting on NJD taking Hughes, but that is because it’s the easier decision.
But it’s nonsense that Kakko now is showing everyone what he have had all along. Not taking anything away from the promise he has shown before, but he has notched it up a solid step this last month. He is more or less taking his Liiga game to the level of the WCHs, and that is like taking your ECHL game to the NHL.
My point is just, I am sure many underrated Kakko before, kudos to those who saw his promise early. But that doesn’t mean that the playing field is not — changing — quite much before our eyes. You had no reason to expect Kakko to become a Malkin/Matthews type of player in January, now I don’t think it’s easy to rule that out. He is getting involved so much, being so strong on the puck etc. Excelling in so many areas. Why should it stop here?
BB88
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Anyway, even if Kakko has a great tournament it's not like Hughes hasn't had a great year.
Craig Button✔@CraigJButton
Evaluations take place over time. Kaapo is a very good player. This reminds me of 2016 with Matthews & Laine. Hughes has clearly demonstrated to me, he is the best player available in the 2019 NHL Draft.
77
5:57 PM - May 11, 2019
I absolutely hate that garbage 2016 comparison.
It's lazy and weak.
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Lol. Wat? Your logic is so twisted. WC is a culmination of the season. By your logic - why not have a break after conference finals for offseason and then play SC final before the start of next season?
its a dead on comparison of the situation. just because laine and kakko are both finnish doesn't make it lazy or inaccurate
BB88
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How so?
Matthews was 6'3 C, dominated men's league in his draft season, great at WC, little question marks around his game.
Basically the perfect C prospect, not just as skilled as McDavid.
Kakko is much more versatile threat than Laine, and much more versatile player than Laine, superior skater while having no major weaknessess in his game.
Better numbers than Laine, and while both put up points, even at WC(small sample size for Kakko) Kakko dominates games on his own on a different level than Laine.
Laine failing to develop, or fix his major issues shouldn't be put on Kakko, as Button has basically before.
Why is Hughes clearly the best player on the draft?
its the same cause matthews was the clear cut #1 and after laine's worlds everyone tried to claim he closed the gap and might go #1 and matthews still went #1 just like hughes will still go #1
everyone says hughes is the best player in the draft and have for years. the ONLY people that have claimed differently are rangers fans since we got the 2nd pick trying to say we are getting the better player. its not a knock on kakko. he's gonna be great and i'm super excited. but hughes is the top guy and if we had the top pick we would take hughes
BB88
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It's 3am here but I'll try to break it down a bit atleast.
Laine was an insane prospect, who really got going at the WJC and after, he was the best player in the playoffs and scored a lot at the WC, again Laine was an insane prospect and had had a fantastic development over the last few months.
The difference between the 2 had closed down from what it was clearly earlier, at that time.
But Laine had major question marks in his game, and with Laine a lot of it was betting on his future development, with how raw he was physically, and how he had developed over the last summer and so.
Now we can easily watch Laine and say well he's not even close to Matthews, and shows why Matthews was the right pick, and exactly what is getting used against Kakko right now.
Laine is a complimentaty sniper today and has failed to take clear steps ahead in his game.
What Laine was as a prospect vs Matthews and what Laine is vs Matthews today ain't the same thing.
Now enter Kakko, 1st off, Kakko is a completely different player than Laine, and Kakko was better than Kotkaniemi at the u18's a year ago, who went 3rd on that year.
Strong as hell on the puck, superior skater, better hands and just no major flaws to his game.
Kakko again had awesome u18's year ago, he started in Liiga on awhole different level than Laine, and throughout the year has been a dominant player here and there, and at the playoffs was team TPS, it was Kakko vs HPK.
He drives the play, and has incredible puck protection, your dream NHL player. Completely different in comparison to Laine.
Hughes will be picked 1st, and I'm damm glad about it. But get those garbage 2016 draft comments out and again Laines failures on development to prove how it's 2016 all over again and prove why Hughes will end up the better player.
& or if you want to bring up Matthews bring him up with Kakko, he's atleast getting compared to him style wise, and Hughes is a completely different player to Matthews with question marks around his game.
& to final point being considered #1 for years should carry only certain amount of value, these are 17-18y kids.
Heiskanen was a late riser and ....ng hell is he money today.
Also on sir Bobs last draft rankings scouts had these 2 close already.
= Laine #1 hype, recent exploded development+ massive development potential sell, Kakko hype, the beast he is today, + expected development.
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CommaSynapse
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Looking like they'll both be special players. I'd be happy with either, though it wouldn't surprise me if the Rangers are saying they're excited to get Kakko ( which I'm sure they are) to shake the confidence of the Devils.
Ending up with either Kakko or Hughes is a massive get.
Ending up with either Kakko or Hughes is a massive get.
RangerBlues
Registered User
That’s just how I feel about world championships. To each their own. I don’t see these NHLers playing like it. It may be to Europeans but I don’t know. I didn’t mean to put you off by saying it
BroadwayStorm
Registered User
What is? Darnold is by no measure a great quarterback prospect. Hughes is a GREAT center prospect.
PlamsUnlimited
Big Church Bells
I have taken some time off posting here but back mostly now, all I'm saying is that I have thought Kakko could be the better player hidden in plain sight. When I watch his play in Finland and here, I just feel like...damn, this dude can become a bonafide whip it out on the table at dinner in front of your parents goal scorer AND play driver. He fakes, he draws so well, and the dude has room to grow. Gotdamn. I don't think Hughes is bad but I just feel like Kakko is starting to turn the heads of a lot of people who may not have been paying attention to him a lot. And it is putting some people under duress.
I know a few guys on here kind of share the same sentiment but I have been in Camp Kakko a lot more, and that was the same case 6 months ago. I think what he will being is SORELY needed in our organization.
I know a few guys on here kind of share the same sentiment but I have been in Camp Kakko a lot more, and that was the same case 6 months ago. I think what he will being is SORELY needed in our organization.
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