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

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Ola said:
I totally think Kakko made the right call to not go to the Combine. Actually meant to post just that before the news broke. All this travelling and camps and games across the globe during the summer is downright insane from a development POV.

I think individual sports (especially winter sports) get more attention here in Europe. The contrast of how they prepare compared to a young hockey player is very striking. They isolate themselves from the outside world to avoid getting infections/viruses and train extremely hard for several months during the off-season. An argument with an agent/promotor or whatever and their trainers about if the athleet in question should fly back and forth across the Atlantic the entire summer for different events would end up in a fist fight.

Kakko should send his agent to the draft with a picture of him planted on a sign, can walk up to the podium with that. Focus on preparing for the season. Preparing is about three things; training, rest and food. Its as simple as that. No stress, no travel, no new environments. No appartment searching, moving worries etc etc etc etc etc etc.
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I would agree with the part about the draft if our prospect camp wasn't immediately after it. He should 100% be at the camp, if for no other reason than to meet the team's management and familiarize himself with NYC a little.
 
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kakko has nothing left to prove. no brainer not coming to buf.

the combine wont help him. hes the consensus #2 pick and many believe will be the better player when compared to hughes. no reason to fly here and then back and then back again to vancouver next month.

kids proven enough. enjoy the world championship win, take it all in and get ready to get to work this summer.
 
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offdacrossbar said:
kakko has nothing left to prove. no brainer not coming to buf.

the combine wont help him. hes the consensus #2 pick and many believe will be the better player when compared to hughes. no reason to fly here and then back and then back again to vancouver next month.

kids proven enough. enjoy the world championship win, take it all in and get ready to get to work this summer.
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This isn't the point though. Jack Hughes is going to the combine, despite not having anything left to prove.

The reason guys like Kakko, Misyul, and Gutik aren't going is purely because of their schedule. Kakko played on Sunday, Misyul and Gutik played yesterday. But even for Kakko, the combine has something to offer
 
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Amazing Kreiderman said:
This isn't the point though. Jack Hughes is going to the combine, despite not having anything left to prove.

The reason guys like Kakko, Misyul, and Gutik aren't going is purely because of their schedule. Kakko played on Sunday, Misyul and Gutik played yesterday. But even for Kakko, the combine has something to offer
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agreed.

hughes doesent live in finland though.

my point is with nothing left to prove and with all that travel back and forth, the combine makes no sense.

he doesnt need to prove anything more
 
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darko said:
There's a reason why Hughes will go #1 and it has nothing to do with who is picking first. Hughes is an unreal talent.
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We've gotten so used to the idea that Kakko will be our guy that so many of us have forgotten just how good this kid is. If by some chance we end up with the #1 consensus pick we should all be doing back flips. When is the last time we drafted a franchise center?
 
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The combine is a good chance to impress and boost your stock and get some additional exposure. Kakko doesn't need to do any of those things. No need for him to go.
 
broadwayblue said:
We've gotten so used to the idea that Kakko will be our guy that so many of us have forgotten just how good this kid is. If by some chance we end up with the #1 consensus pick we should all be doing back flips. When is the last time we drafted a franchise center?
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Weight, a long time ago. Savard has some franchise-type seasons later in his career, but realistically, Weight.
 
offdacrossbar said:
agreed.

hughes doesent live in finland though.

my point is with nothing left to prove and with all that travel back and forth, the combine makes no sense.

he doesnt need to prove anything more
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Dahlin lived in Sweden. He went to the combine. As I said: The traveling itself isn't the issue here. It's that he was playing until Sunday and then had some festivities planned in Finland on Monday and Tuesday. The timing was off. If Finland lost to Sweden in the quarters, Kakko would be at the combine right now
 
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Amazing Kreiderman said:
Dahlin lived in Sweden. He went to the combine. As I said: The traveling itself isn't the issue here. It's that he was playing until Sunday and then had some festivities planned in Finland on Monday and Tuesday. The timing was off. If Finland lost to Sweden in the quarters, Kakko would be at the combine right now
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understood.

whether he goes or not or why , hes going to be picked by 1st or 2nd.
 
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Amazing Kreiderman said:
Dahlin lived in Sweden. He went to the combine. As I said: The traveling itself isn't the issue here. It's that he was playing until Sunday and then had some festivities planned in Finland on Monday and Tuesday. The timing was off. If Finland lost to Sweden in the quarters, Kakko would be at the combine right now
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You're correct, but look at it like this: if Kakko was in a player like Dach's position, say slated to go anywhere from 3-10, would he be at the combine?

If the answer is yes then his status of "not having anything to prove" factors in at least a little in his decision.
 
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McRanger said:
You're correct, but look at it like this: if Kakko was in a player like Dach's position, say slated to go anywhere from 3-10, would he be at the combine?

If the answer is yes then his status of "not having anything to prove" factors in at least a little in his decision.
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If Kakko was ranked 3-10, he still wouldn't be at the combine, simply because of scheduling issues. As I said before, Gutik and Misyul aren't at the combine either. Hardly prospects who have nothing to prove.
 
Amazing Kreiderman said:
In the last 12 months for Kakko has played 110 games across 7 different competitions, in 7 different countries and timezones 12 hours apart.
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Wow. I had no idea the numbers were that high. It has to dwarf even the most active soccer players. Not to mention the fact that hockey is much harder on the body than soccer.
 
EpicDing said:
I would agree with the part about the draft if our prospect camp wasn't immediately after it. He should 100% be at the camp, if for no other reason than to meet the team's management and familiarize himself with NYC a little.
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I was thinking that he back home in Finland could do some Ivan Drago training into October and then be led onto the ice on opening night to meet his teammates for the first time, you know kind of wearing a robe with a hood covering his face. Then Dolan walks up to him on the ice and rip the disguise off in front of everyone while some cool music is playing. The speaker goes "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present, for the home team, wearing red, white and blue, the ruling world champion at the mens, U20 and U18 level, KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPPPOOOOO KAAAAAAKKKKKKKKO". Kakko briefly skates up to Kreider on LW and Zibanejad at center to introduce himself, then they line up for the drop of the puck!

Would be pretty cool.
 
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Amazing Kreiderman said:
If Kakko was ranked 3-10, he still wouldn't be at the combine, simply because of scheduling issues. As I said before, Gutik and Misyul aren't at the combine either. Hardly prospects who have nothing to prove.
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Gotcha. I was under the impression Gutik and Misyul were still playing and could not attend the combine as opposed to chose not to attend.
 
Faceless said:
Wow. I had no idea the numbers were that high. It has to dwarf even the most active soccer players. Not to mention the fact that hockey is much harder on the body than soccer.
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I don't know... Have you seen some of the reactions when those guys make contact with each other?:sarcasm:
 
Kakko skipping the combine is a non issue. Hughes/Kakko and a few others have nothing more to prove that will impact their draft position dramatically. This is also pretty common in the NBA for most of the top prospects to skip the combine.
 
I don't understand all the wincing faces at Kakko not attending the combine. The majority of the next 15-20 years of his life are going to be played oversees from his home. Let him enjoy the immense accomplishment Finland just pulled off at the WHC, and squeeze in an extra week of time with his family and friends before he gets swept up into the NHL machine.

I would also imagine he would fly in early before the draft for private workouts with NY/NJ at the end of the month, making the whole thing moot.
 
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McRanger said:
Gotcha. I was under the impression Gutik and Misyul were still playing and could not attend the combine as opposed to chose not to attend.
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They are. That's why they aren't at the combine. Just like Kakko. They still played up to the day before the combine. It's just not realistic for them to make it to Buffalo.
 
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Joey Bones said:
Confirmed: Rangers not trading away No. 2 overall!!

This was also a very interesting article from Gorts. Good read, for sure!!
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I 100% believe that if there was a Godfather of an offer, Gorton would move the pick. I 100% believe that no NHL team will likely meet such a price. As such, the pick is not being moved.
 
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