About Kakko:
"The 6-foot-2, 200 pound winger has shown not only his elite skills - vision, playmaking, skating, shooting - but that he can use his big frame to protect the puck, win one-on-one battles and create space for himself in the dirty areas and it's caught the attention of Devils head coach John Hynes, who was at the tournament as an assistant coach for Team USA.
"He's a very, very strong player," he said. "You can see it in tight spaces, below the goal line, along the boards. He has great hands, great vision, very difficult to defend and he can make plays. I've been pretty impressed with the way the Finns are using him - basically in a lot of key situations. I've had the opportunity to see him play in a couple games and he's been one of the better players on the ice in all those games.
"He's going to be a top forward in the NHL," Hynes continued. "He's going to be a tough a guy that can drive a team at the NHL level and, right now, when you look at his talent level, his competitiveness, his size, and his skill and what he's doing now against men, and what he's done all year long, even at the world juniors, you can see that he's going to be a special player. So, wherever he ends up in the NHL, he's going to be a guy that can help get a franchise back to being a competitive team in the playoffs and competing for the Stanley Cup."
WORLDS: Kakko completes an unbelievable 13-month stretch with world title
This was published earlier about Hughes:
"Devils head coach John Hynes had the benefit of working with Hughes during the tournament as he was one of Team USA's assistant coaches.
"As a person, he's been really fun to be around. He's a good teammate. He's coachable. And, you can tell he loves the game," Hynes said. "When you look at him on the ice, he's very competitive. He wants the puck on his stick. He wants to be challenged and play in tough, tight situations, which is great to see, especially from a young kid. He's incredibly confident and he doesn't back down. In practice, he's trying to beat guys like Ryan Suter. So, you can see there's a drive and a desire to be an exceptionally good player."
Hynes also noted Hughes' speed and skating, his vision and hockey sense and his playmaking abilities before concluding: "There's no question, he's a game-breaking player and will develop into a franchise player that will help drive a team and play a top line center role in the NHL.
"If he does end up becoming a New Jersey Devil," Hynes continued. "I think that the fact that I've had the opportunity to get to know him and a relationship has been created and we've been working together, that's a big step in having a young talented player feel comfortable in his first year in the NHL to help him be able to make an impact sooner rather than later."
WORLDS: Hughes breaks out in final game of tournament
