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

[Edge]

Again, whether or not Kakko grows any more has nothing to do with the issue of whether Hughes will mature into a play with sufficient size and strength to allow him to become a franchise player. Nobody is questioning KK's size. Hughes has the tools to dominate, but the knock on him is size...so whether you think he's going to reach his ceiling may likely have a lot to do with how much size and muscle he puts on.

Yeah, I tend think its not just limited to size. The way Hughes sees the ice, his hands, his ability to thread the needle with passes, etc. are some of why he is still ranked first.

The size component is seen as something that will help him apply said skills, and probably contribute to how well he is able to utilize his talents, but it's not necessarily the key point.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

I think Kakko has the bigger immediately impact, but Hughes will be the better player in the long run.

What a great "problem" to have.

Keep hearing that, it's like people have a crystal ball. Kakko will be the better player long run my crystal ball told me.

 

[LionsHeart]

Keep hearing that, it's like people have a crystal ball. Kakko will be the better player long run my crystal ball told me.

And you might very well be right, thus the "I think." I'm not stating it like it's a fact, that would be foolish. We won't truly know for another 5 - 10 years. Either way I hope our guy is the better one.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I'm not saying that its happening here, but a ton of the comments about Kakko seem to indicate that he's a man already and not going to grow or improve.

He will do both, so will Hughes but no matter what Jack does, he'll never be as big/strong/physically dominant as Kakko, just as Kakko will never be as quick as Hughes.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Kakko will still grow. And be a beast. Physically he already is. He's Chytil's frame but with upper body strength

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

I'm not saying that its happening here, but a ton of the comments about Kakko seem to indicate that he's a man already and not going to grow or improve.

He will do both, so will Hughes but no matter what Jack does, he'll never be as big/strong/physically dominant as Kakko, just as Kakko will never be as quick as Hughes.

That is exactly what I was saying. I do not understand why people think Kakko is already done developing, it is not a hugely accepted opinion but I do see it here and there and, to me, that sounds so inane

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Kakko will still grow. And be a beast. Physically he already is. He's Chytil's frame but with upper body strength

Minus around 20 pounds.

I don't know about the Upper Body Strength, but he understands leverage much better than Chytil (and most players in general) do.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Minus around 20 pounds.

I don't know about the Upper Body Strength, but he understands leverage much better than Chytil (and most players in general) do.

And that's why he's a top-2 pick. He's better at everything

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

That is exactly what I was saying. I do not understand why people think Kakko is already done developing, it is not a hugely accepted opinion but I do see it here and there and, to me, that sounds so inane

I don’t think people think Kakko is done developing, so much as the growth will benefit Hughes much more than it’ll benefit Kakko

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I don’t think people think Kakko is done developing, so much as the growth will benefit Hughes much more than it’ll benefit Kakko

I don't know if I buy that either.

For Hughes, getting bigger and stronger is really more about being able to "survive" in the league. The strength gains he makes aren't going to impact his game much, unless it translates into speed or shot power. It may and if it does, then yeah it's going to benefit him.

Kakko's game IS power. If he's already a force at 18, whats he going to be with another inch or 2 and 20-25 pounds on him?

 

[TheBloodyNine]

Some more fuel to the Kakko Fire:

 

[broadwayblue]

That is exactly what I was saying. I do not understand why people think Kakko is already done developing, it is not a hugely accepted opinion but I do see it here and there and, to me, that sounds so inane

Who is saying Kakko is done developing? Not sure I've seen that posted once.

 

[broadwayblue]

I don’t think people think Kakko is done developing, so much as the growth will benefit Hughes much more than it’ll benefit Kakko

This! Everyone knows KK has the size and strength to play against men. But that doesn't mean he will be the better player than Hughes in 3 or 5 years after Hughes has matured.

 

[nyr2k2]

Some more fuel to the Kakko Fire:

While this is neat, I've played beer league with guys that could do this kind of stuff and more. Most guys that have played a lot of hockey in their lives can do cool stuff. I haven't even played much but can cradle the puck like a lax ball and spin with it. I probably learned that around 18-20 when I spent the most time on the rink in my life. I'm sure Jack Hughes has a whole bunch of puck tricks he can do as well, his hands are insane.

 

[Levitate]

I'm not saying that its happening here, but a ton of the comments about Kakko seem to indicate that he's a man already and not going to grow or improve.

He will do both, so will Hughes but no matter what Jack does, he'll never be as big/strong/physically dominant as Kakko, just as Kakko will never be as quick as Hughes.

I think Hughes has more to gain in his game from developing than Kakko does though...I think that's the thing many people are talking about when they say "Hughes will get better and stronger". Hughes getting bigger and stronger will have a bigger impact on how his game goes against pro competition than Kakko getting bigger and stronger will. That development process isn't a linear equation that can be applied equally to everyone.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Some more fuel to the Kakko Fire:

Impressive. And impractical.

 

[Edge]

I think Hughes has more to gain in his game from developing than Kakko does though...I think that's the thing many people are talking about when they say "Hughes will get better and stronger". Hughes getting bigger and stronger will have a bigger impact on how his game goes against pro competition than Kakko getting bigger and stronger will. That development process isn't a linear equation that can be applied equally to everyone.

The easiest way to look at it is this:

Kakko at 6'2, 195 (or bigger) can essentially step onto an NHL rink tomorrow and not necessarily look out of place against men.

Hughes at 5'10, 170 is probably going to struggle with that a bit more --- at this time.

I also think Kakko has had time to make the appropriate adjustments to higher, more mature levels of competition.

In Hughes case, this is some of his first times seeing guys at this level. It's like comparing hitting prospects in baseball when one guy has played MLB and AAA pitching all season, and the other guy is a September call-up.

So even beyond strength and size, there's the element of adapting to a different level of play.

 

[Fugazy]

Some more fuel to the Kakko Fire:

Sheesh.

 

[TheBloodyNine]

While this is neat, I've played beer league with guys that could do this kind of stuff and more. Most guys that have played a lot of hockey in their lives can do cool stuff. I haven't even played much but can cradle the puck like a lax ball and spin with it. I probably learned that around 18-20 when I spent the most time on the rink in my life. I'm sure Jack Hughes has a whole bunch of puck tricks he can do as well, his hands are insane.

Impressive. And impractical.

It’s just a fun little video. It’s ok to be excited about this guy.

 

[RangerBoy]

 

[FJB]

Schremp > Kakko

 

[Paulie Walnutz]

While this is neat, I've played beer league with guys that could do this kind of stuff and more. Most guys that have played a lot of hockey in their lives can do cool stuff. I haven't even played much but can cradle the puck like a lax ball and spin with it. I probably learned that around 18-20 when I spent the most time on the rink in my life. I'm sure Jack Hughes has a whole bunch of puck tricks he can do as well, his hands are insane.

Wasn’t Rob Schremp a ridiculous deker? Now there’s a name I haven’t mentioned in years.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

I think Kakko fits the bill in the sense that he'll put pucks in the net, but he's also a well-rounded offensive player. So while you're looking at 30-40 goals, you could very well be looking at 90-100 total points.

I'm on board with Kakko at 2 (duh) but also with Arthur Kaliyev at 20 if he drops or if he moves up.

Gimma that PURE. GOAL. SCORING. in Kaliyev.

 

[nyr2k2]

It’s just a fun little video. It’s ok to be excited about this guy.

Yeah I know, I get that, I'm excited too. But I'm excited because of his play in games, not the practice trickery. That's all.

 

[QJL]

Kakko's game IS power. If he's already a force at 18, whats he going to be with another inch or 2 and 20-25 pounds on him?

Just for reference, it’s incredibly unlikely Kakko gets taller. The average age for reaching maximum height is 16. Almost all NHL draftees will be done growing in height by draft day.