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

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Guys there’s a very real chance he jumps jack Hughes. Yes Hughes has been THE guy in this age group since he was about 11. But sports like anything else in business is a what have you done for me lately thing and it’s human nature to take the latest successes or failures as a measuring stick.

The gap is closing daily there’s no way it isn’t. This domination at this level for an 18 year old is just not normal. Unless said 18 year old is the best 18 year old on the planet. Which I think he is.
 
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Kovalev27 said:
Guys there’s a very real chance he jumps jack Hughes. Yes Hughes has been THE guy in this age group since he was about 11. But sports like anything else in business is a what have you done for me lately thing and it’s human nature to take the latest successes or failures as a measuring stick.

The gap is closing daily there’s no way it isn’t. This domination at this level for an 18 year old is just not normal. Unless said 18 year old is the best 18 year old on the planet. Which I think he is.
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Not with the Devils at 1.

Too many USA hockey ties in that org. They’ve committed to Jack
 
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Kovalev27 said:
Guys there’s a very real chance he jumps jack Hughes. Yes Hughes has been THE guy in this age group since he was about 11. But sports like anything else in business is a what have you done for me lately thing and it’s human nature to take the latest successes or failures as a measuring stick.

The gap is closing daily there’s no way it isn’t. This domination at this level for an 18 year old is just not normal. Unless said 18 year old is the best 18 year old on the planet. Which I think he is.
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I was hoping his performance would quell the last of the concerns about the Rangers not taking him second.

I think I may have underestimated that his performance would stir up concerns about him going first. ;)
 
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The gap is closing day by day my friend. The media is pushing the story and the kid is making Hughes looks like a child. I hope I’m wrong but this kind of dominance is not ignored.
 
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Kovalev27 said:
The gap is closing day by day my friend. The media is pushing the story and the kid is making Hughes looks like a child. I hope I’m wrong but this kind of dominance is not ignored.
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Let's just take a step back for a second.

Has there been a single credible story that Kakko has leapfrogged Hughes?

Or any survey of scouts that makes it look close to 50/50, let along giving the edge to Kakko?

The media is having fun with, and working in an enormous market that doesn't have any skin in the playoff game anymore. But even then, no one has proclaimed Kakko as the top pick.
 
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Most NHL orgs also don't care what story the media is pushing. Devils aren't going to change their mind because some talking heads on TSN said some stuff.

It's possible they could take Kakko 1st overall but again that will mean that they've had to change their minds completely and are now 100% sure that Kakko is the better player and will be the better player. It will have to be a complete upheaval of all the scouting they've done up to this point. It's possible that happens, but it's more possible that Kakko's performance jut make them feel like the choice is extremely close but they're still going with their first choice that they've believed to be the better player all along and who also plays center.
 
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Levitate said:
Most NHL orgs also don't care what story the media is pushing. Devils aren't going to change their mind because some talking heads on TSN said some stuff.

It's possible they could take Kakko 1st overall but again that will mean that they've had to change their minds completely and are now 100% sure that Kakko is the better player and will be the better player. It will have to be a complete upheaval of all the scouting they've done up to this point. It's possible that happens, but it's more possible that Kakko's performance jut make them feel like the choice is extremely close but they're still going with their first choice that they've believed to be the better player all along and who also plays center.
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I don't know if I can stress enough that front office's are not nearly as reactionary as we sometimes believe.

I think if the narrative all season long was like the "Tyler vs. Taylor" debate, or if we were seeing scouting services and polling reflect a shifting vote. But the truth is, we haven't.

We've heard about closing gaps. We've been reminded that Kakko is a beast. We've seen the whole Devils-Rangers angle played up. But we haven't see a shift a tide change.

It is impossible to rule out? No, not completely. But I can't find anything I can point to that would indicate an actual change.
 
We are still getting Kakko, they are not passing on Hughes. Kakko would have needed 20 goals this tournament to make that a reality. They have a chance to be set at center at 1-2 for the next 15-20 years just at the time when the pens and caps will be on the decline. Thats too good of an opportunity to pass up. Center is seen as the more valuable position.
 
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Devils have a chance to get Hischier-Hughes as a 1-2 combo. I don't see that changing... Even if it does... We get Hughes.. making a bigger deal out of this
 
razor ray said:
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Who is this and why should we care?

I'm also watching shift by shift videos of Hughes at this tournament and there's a LOT to love about how he plays the game and what kind of player you can see he's going to become. It's unfortunate for him that he hasn't managed any points but like in the US game against Great Britain he was in many ways more involved and more impressive than Kakko against Denmark (though Denmark probably is a better team and played a stronger game). He's going to be amazing at transitions and entering the zone, always is attacking the net and then moving to open ice or scoring areas, very smooth all around...we're focusing on points but again if people are actively scouting this tournament they're seeing a lot of things to like about Hughes and his first experience playing against older and pro competition.

e: like seriously go watch some of the shift by shift videos that people are posting in the Hughes thread on the prospect board. Kakko is extremely impressive but if you went into this with Hughes #1 and are watching him play you're seeing all the stuff that once he adjusts to playing against men is going to make him an absolute terror on the ice.
 
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Wakko4Kakko said:
Guys, 5 games does not override an entire season of observation.
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See. This argument is very stupid to me. Why is a more rapid rate of progression a negative? Kaapo Kakko can't be super talented despite being a better player right now(confident in this) and having progressed faster over this year, because he was worse two years ago(have literally read this sort of stuff)? If he's progressing faster, isn't it logical to predict he'll continue progressing faster? Sometimes this logic is very strange. Very.

On above, clearly we saw the game vs Britain very differently.
 
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