Exactly. There is no way that Shero does not take Hughes. That type of second guessing gets you fired. Shero cannot afford not to take Hughes. He cannot second guess himself and watch Hughes become one of the league's top players playing across the Hudson.
That is an absolute tragedy for someone who will be living and playing in New York City.
Not eating gluten and sugar, is a good thing for an athlete
As a HCP, I'm not at all concerned. Type I diabetes is manageable if you're disciplined, which Kaapo seems to be. My comments about being a diabetic and having celiac disease being tragic stem from NYC having some of the world's best Italian food and pizza.
I don't read the other boards anymore so I can't speak to them. However there were definitely people here saying that Kakko was even with Hughes way before we miraculously ended up with a top-two pick and the Devils ended up with the top pick. A few people have been sharing concerns about Hughes' build for a while now, while simultaneously talking up Kakko's impressive physical abilities for his age. You're certainly correct that since the draft order was established this "They're even/Kakko's better" talk has picked up substantially, but it did exist here before anyone realistically imagined we'd have either.
There's great Italian food all over the world. You would know about the best spots in Europe (outside of Italy) better than I would, so I'll take your word for it.Best in the US
If it was truly a problem, it would have been made known by now and he wouldn't be ranked nearly as high as he was for a year. Other plays deal with similar issues and have and are successful. Obviously, with modern medicine and technology, NHL teams are able to easily help their players manage it.
I think that's just human and fan nature, Edge. That being said, Kakko has convinced me fully that the gap between him and Hughes is razor thin.
I honestly haven't been to Arthur Avenue in years. If I were to go back it would be mainly for the bakeries and delis rather than the restaurants around there.
I think it's still close, with Hughes have the slightly higher ceiling, while Kakko has the much higher floor.
There is no doubt in my mind that Kakko has a stronger impact in year 1, and perhaps even in year 2, as well. Like you mentioned, however, it's about who is better in five years or so. Hughes' possess traits that make him incredibly dynamic and give him the chance to have that higher ceiling. However, while I think incredibly highly of him, there is no lock that he manages to put everything together and to reach his maximum potential. I feel quite strongly that Kakko is going to be a franchise quality player and one of the best wings in the league. With Hughes, I feel as if he has the potential to be an elite 1C which is always more valuable than an elite 1W, but I feel a bit less confident he will fully reach that potential. Like you, I likely still go Hughes at 1, but even five years from now, I think it's a lot closer than I initially thought.
