C Jack Hughes - USNTDP (2019 Draft)

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93LEAFS

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He played pretty well on a fairly decent Windsor team. But I don't think he took over games the way Alexis does at this point in time. He's bar none the best player on his team, and among one of the best player in the QMJHL. Not only that but he should finish with similar or better totals with considerably weaker linemates IMO.
It's unlikely he finishes with better numbers when league quality is factored in. Hall also killed it with the U-18's and the U-17's.

Great prospect, but I don't think he's in a different level than Hall. Hall offered ridiculous skating with great strength. He absolutely stood out at that age due to this. Hall wasn't the best player in the OHL that year, but the league was ridiculous stacked at that point (Stamkos and Tavares were in the league). Either way, in his 17 year old year, he was a top 3 player in the OHL and led his team to the Memorial Cup.
 

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It's unlikely he finishes with better numbers when league quality is factored in. Hall also killed it with the U-18's and the U-17's.

Great prospect, but I don't think he's in a different level than Hall. Hall offered ridiculous skating with great strength. He absolutely stood out at that age due to this. Hall wasn't the best player in the OHL that year, but the league was ridiculous stacked at that point (Stamkos and Tavares were in the league). Either way, in his 17 year old year, he was a top 3 player in the OHL and led his team to the Memorial Cup.

I think Alexis is more of a puck hound, he creates a lot more. Hall was flashy but lacked creativity and is well below Alexis in terms of board/net front play. I'm willing to wager that Alexis' NHL career will blow Hall's out of the water.
 

93LEAFS

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I think Alexis is more of a puck hound, he creates a lot more. Hall was flashy but lacked creativity and is well below Alexis in terms of board/net front play. I'm willing to wager that Alexis' NHL career will blow Hall's out of the water.
Well see, but at the same age I don't see much of a difference. Hopefully for Alexis doesn't have to go to a team as bad as the Oilers. I think he's a good prospect, but I don't think he's on that next level such as Crosby or McDavid, and that's the level of prospect you have to be to be significantly better than Hall at 16.

Hall is more of a brute-force player, but is still highly effective. He also showed very strong at every international event he went to.

Either way, I'd take Hughes over Lafreniere. Although, I think Hughes is a strong candidate to be moved to the wing at the next level.
 

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Well see, but at the same age I don't see much of a difference. Hopefully for Alexis doesn't have to go to a team as bad as the Oilers. I think he's a good prospect, but I don't think he's on that next level such as Crosby or McDavid, and that's the level of prospect you have to be to be significantly better than Hall at 16.

Hall is more of a brute-force player, but is still highly effective. He also showed very strong at every international event he went to.

Either way, I'd take Hughes over Lafreniere. Although, I think Hughes is a strong candidate to be moved to the wing at the next level.

Hard to say. He could be moved but can he dictate the offence from the wing the way he can from center? That's what separates a lot of guys I think from moving over as well as two-way play. Hughes is likely to pile on more points with his vision and creativity with the puck. He reminds me of a Patrick Kane like player. Lafreniere is a shoot first type with that Crosby like down low play. He can kill you on the rush or the cycle and can score in tight like I haven't seen before in a 16 year old. Granted it's the Q but still.
 

93LEAFS

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Hard to say. He could be moved but can he dictate the offence from the wing the way he can from center? That's what separates a lot of guys I think from moving over as well as two-way play. Hughes is likely to pile on more points with his vision and creativity with the puck. He reminds me of a Patrick Kane like player. Lafreniere is a shoot first type with that Crosby like down low play. He can kill you on the rush or the cycle and can score in tight like I haven't seen before in a 16 year old. Granted it's the Q but still.
He'll be a center from the blue-line in, similar to how P. Kane runs his teams offence but doesn't have the down low work of a center. It will be interesting. If he can be a center at the NHL with his size would be a rarity. The only guy who pulled it off long-term was Giroux, who was moved to the wing recently due to the toll was taking on him. Also, allowing Hughes to play high in the defensive zone will allow him to take advantage of his explosive speed more.
 

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He'll be a center from the blue-line in, similar to how P. Kane runs his teams offence but doesn't have the down low work of a center. It will be interesting. If he can be a center at the NHL with his size would be a rarity. The only guy who pulled it off long-term was Giroux, who was moved to the wing recently due to the toll was taking on him. Also, allowing Hughes to play high in the defensive zone will allow him to take advantage of his explosive speed more.

Very true. The funny thing is about these two is the way they play it seems like Hughes might be a better winger and Alexis a better center.
 

93LEAFS

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3 points with 6 minutes left in the 3rd. 2 assists off just cycling on the powerplay (and then screen shots going through) and a nice goal directing a puck driving the net from a pass from Wahlstrom.

His line has dictated play at 5v5. Hughes pure speed and skill, combined with Wahlstrom's shot, size and skill, with Farabee's IQ and tenacity has been too much for any Swede to handle. Hughes at times looks overmatched along the walls and he got hit hard once. Still an impressive showing for a 16 year old at his first U-18 event.

Edit: And named 1st Star.
 
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Frk It

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He'll be a center from the blue-line in, similar to how P. Kane runs his teams offence but doesn't have the down low work of a center. It will be interesting. If he can be a center at the NHL with his size would be a rarity. The only guy who pulled it off long-term was Giroux, who was moved to the wing recently due to the toll was taking on him. Also, allowing Hughes to play high in the defensive zone will allow him to take advantage of his explosive speed more.

Brayden Point? Trochek?
 

Pavel Buchnevich

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Crosby's only 5'11. You can be under 6'0 and play center in the NHL, but I don't think Hughes has a center game. He's too much of a perimeter player to be a center, in my opinion.
 

Frk It

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Crosby's only 5'11. You can be under 6'0 and play center in the NHL, but I don't think Hughes has a center game. He's too much of a perimeter player to be a center, in my opinion.

He's also a 150 something lb 16 year old kid playing against bigger, older kids...
 

ijuka

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Crosby's only 5'11. You can be under 6'0 and play center in the NHL, but I don't think Hughes has a center game. He's too much of a perimeter player to be a center, in my opinion.
When it comes to these players with extremely high hockey IQ and game sense... How about this just is how he finds he finds himself to be the most effective at the current point in time, in this league?

It's very possible and in my opinion even likely that this isn't an attribute that's just attached to him on the hip. If he finds that perimeter play doesn't work well in NHL, he'd do something else. Now, he likely will never become a huge grinder. But Sebastian Aho for example has shown that you can go to the "high percentage areas" frequently even if you aren't all big and strong, as long as you are a good skater and smart(Something Hughes is in spades).
 

93LEAFS

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Brayden Point? Trochek?

Crosby's only 5'11. You can be under 6'0 and play center in the NHL, but I don't think Hughes has a center game. He's too much of a perimeter player to be a center, in my opinion.
Crosby has always been stocky.

Point is pretty much the only center in the league who is built like Hughes. Generally kids built like P. Kane, Marner and Keller are moved out wide.
 

93LEAFS

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Who says that Hughes cannot gain enough muscle mass to be around Crosby's level?
He could, but I'd say its unlikely. Looking at the World Junior book on the program of excellence put out by Hockey Canada, Crosby was listed at 5'10 185 at the same age, at 17 he was listed at 193. Hughes is currently listed at 157. So, we are talking about a 30 pound gap at the same age.
 

S E P H

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He could, but I'd say its unlikely. Looking at the World Junior book on the program of excellence put out by Hockey Canada, Crosby was listed at 5'10 185 at the same age, at 17 he was listed at 193. Hughes is currently listed at 157. So, we are talking about a 30 pound gap at the same age.
Not saying I disagree, you're probably right that he won't ever get as physically tough as Crosby. Nonetheless, with the way hockey is going, Hughes topping off at 180 lbs in his prime will allow him to keep his skating ability in addition to being stronger with the puck. I personally think talent will triumph over size in any situation possible, so I don't buy your argument that smaller players can't survive as centre. But his skating and the modern day NHL should help him in being a #1 centre in the pros if he does run in to smaller stature concerns.
 

93LEAFS

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Not saying I disagree, you're probably right that he won't ever get as physically tough as Crosby. Nonetheless, with the way hockey is going, Hughes topping off at 180 lbs in his prime will allow him to keep his skating ability in addition to being stronger with the puck. I personally think talent will triumph over size in any situation possible, so I don't buy your argument that smaller players can't survive as centre. But his skating and the modern day NHL should help him in being a #1 centre in the pros if he does run in to smaller stature concerns.
Well see but most smaller guys are moved off the dot to the wing. Especially a guy with as explosive skating as Hughes to allow him to stretch the D more. Its still rare to see anyone sub-185 at center long-term. Even Giroux was moved back to the wing this year to lessen the toll on him.

That doesn't mean, even if he's moved to the wing, he won't be an elite player and worth the pick. He has a lot in common with Patrick Kane, who also played center at points in junior. Keller was a center for a bunch at the USNTDP and at BU last year. If he is a center, say he goes to a team like Detroit or Montreal, do you really want him having to battle down low in both zones consistently against Matthews, Barkov, and Eichel?
 

93LEAFS

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I guess some people do not follow Tyler Johnson....you can make it as a center as long as you work your ass off regardless of size.
Its more build than height. Hughes and his brother both are fairly slight builds. Very few have overcome that.

Either way, the only guy to do it long-term as a number 1, with number 1 usage is Giroux in recent memory.

Hughes had a mixed game tonight. Some bad turnovers, but his line was still by far the American's best, and Hughes can still generate chances out of nothing with his speed and hands. Got a goal called off because it didn't beat the buzzer for the end of the 2nd period. He's USA's most notable player despite there being probably 5 first rounders for this draft on it.
 

Whalers Fan

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Hughes had a mixed game tonight. Some bad turnovers, but his line was still by far the American's best, and Hughes can still generate chances out of nothing with his speed and hands. Got a goal called off because it didn't beat the buzzer for the end of the 2nd period. He's USA's most notable player despite there being probably 5 first rounders for this draft on it.

Yes, Hughes was clearly Team USA's best player last night, as he's been since joining the U18 team. His line seemed to get more ice time than in regular season NTDP games, and he even made his first appearance that I've seen on the penalty kill unit late in the game -- and generated a quality shorthanded opportunity. I wouldn't be surprised to see him used more on the PK as the season continues, as he's a real threat shorthanded out there.

His smaller size did contribute to him getting run over by one of the Czech players during the game -- it was the most physically dominated I've seen of him on a play.
 

AmericanDream

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Some high praise from McKenzie. Saying scouts say if he were draft eligible this year, he would be far above Svechnikov Zadina etc, and some believe he hypothetically could have been able to push Dahlin for 1OA

that would be something to do a poll on!! I got Hughes all the way for #1 for 2018 draft!! Great to see him doing as well as he has this year.
 
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